


Perspective

by FaerieWinterstorm



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 'cause he's a good boy, 6 years after the battle of Hogwarts, Auror Harry Potter, Beware the potty words, Bottom Draco Malfoy, Don't read, Draco Malfoy finally being who he wants to be, Draco Malfoy in the Muggle World, Draco being supportive for his besty, F/F, F/M, Feels, Good Draco Malfoy, He don't need no dick Father, M/M, Moving On, Music, Oblivious Draco Malfoy, Oblivious Harry Potter, Original Characters - Freeform, Pansy and Blaise worried about their old friend, Slow Burn, Slowly become more sexual as you get going, YouTube Sensation Draco Malfoy, but it aint pretty, dozens of them, harry being an oblivious little nugget with his feelings, if you an innocent child, lots and lots of music, lots of potty words, not gonna say who for, slight mentions of past rape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-05-16 07:17:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14806835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaerieWinterstorm/pseuds/FaerieWinterstorm
Summary: Draco Malfoy left the Wizarding World after the death of his mother. With no one to turn to, he runs away to the Muggle World and meets a girl named Vee, a dancer at the White Swallow in the South Side of Chicago. She takes him in and they become best friends.Six years later, enter Harry Potter.





	1. Numb

_ May 2nd, 2011 _

 

* * *

 

Numb.

Cold.

Detached.

That's all Draco Malfoy felt as he stood there in front of the Wizengamot as Harry Potter plead his case. He can’t hear what's being said but he can feel the stares. The hateful, disgusted glares. Draco knew that even if he escaped the Dementors Kiss, that he’ll still always be dead inside.

He can’t look up, so he just keeps staring at his shoes. He can’t decide if Azkaban would be better than the consequences society will give him.

Draco doesn’t remember how he got here. He can’t remember having been treated like glass as he was dragged and shoved roughly into his chair. He couldn’t remember hearing Harry Potter shoot up from his chair and-.

Oh. So maybe he remembers a little.

But he can’t remember reacting to it. He’s still in shock, still coming to terms with the consequences of letting the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. The consequences of his own cowardice.

Then suddenly he’s moving, a once well manicured hand, now covered in dirt and grime, gripping tightly onto his forearm. He recognizes the hand as his mothers. Another hand- her other hand- comes to rest on his face, forcing him to look into her terrified eyes. But still, she puts on a smile. Her lips start to move but he can’t make out what she’s saying. 

Draco Malfoy is still numb.

Narcissa drops her hand from his face- but still keeps hold of his arm, as if she’s afraid he’ll bolt- and walks him out the door and into the busy streets of London. He looks out into the crowd of people. The glares and snarls trigger a speck of feeling so he quickly looks to the ground. He’s not yet ready to feel again. 

He feels another hand grip onto his other arm. This hand is darkly tanned and covered in blood and dried up mud. He still can’t look up, because he knows that if he does, he’ll be looking into the face of Hermione Granger, the girl he tortured for years on end because of something she could never change. The girl he cowardly watched his aunt carve the word  _ mudblood _ into her arm as he just stood there on there, watching, trying not to vomit at her shrill, blood curdling screams. He tries to shake her hand off but she only holds on tighter. He tries to ignore her as best as he can as he feels the slightly nauseating feeling of the dissaperation.

He lands on his arse on cold marble. Someone helps him up but he closes his eyes, too afraid to look into the kind, motherly eyes of the girl he had once despised because of his upbringing, too afraid to look into his once cheerful childhood home, now turned dark and cold with the memory of Voldemort as he’d invaded his house and filled it with dark magic.

He wants to vomit, but there's nothing in his stomach to heave. He hasn't eaten in days. He knows that whenever everything finally sinks that he’ll collapse. That he’ll curl up on himself and wallow in his despair, in his agony at the knowledge that he’s the reason hundreds of people are dead, children, young witches and wizards that didn’t deserve to die so young. He knows that he’ll wallow in the knowledge that he’s the reason children lost their parents, parents lost their children, and siblings split apart by the veil of death.

Draco’s eyes sting as an ocean of tears is held back by the thin dam that keeps his feels at bay. He’s still not ready.

His arm is shaken slightly and a voice urges him to open his eyes. The voice is soft, worried. He only shakes his head.

He’s not ready. He doesn’t want to break like this. Not in front of them, not in front of his heartbroken mother who has already lost a husband to the Dementors Kiss.

A hand makes its way through his hair and he’s startled so badly that his eyes fly open, catching sight of his mother and she runs her fingers through his knotted, mud caked, platinum blonde hair. Her eyes are filled with pain only a mother could feel. The pain only a widow could feel.

The dam inside him trembles with feeling, cracking enough for his hearing to rush back.

“-cottage in France? Draco, darling, are you listening?” 

“Yes, mother.” his voice comes out hollow and void of feeling and the dam shudders at the screaming pain in his mothers eyes. He’s never seen his mother show so much emotion all at once. It's new. It's somehow freeing.

He both hates and loves it.

And that's what does it. That single thought has him turning around stiffly, letting Narcissa’s hand fall to her side. He walks up into his room, his shoes, once shiny and freshly polished, clicking unevenly across the marble tiles. 

When he opens his door, he shivers. The sense of dark magic surrounding him. Then suddenly he’s stripping until he’s in nothing but his shorts. He catches himself in his body mirror. His magic flings itself out, shattering his large bed and his mirror and slamming the door shut as the dam finally breaks. Tears runs down his cheeks as he takes in his figure. Pale, cold, and skeleton like. His chest, covered in long, random, silver scars from the  _ sectumsempra _ curse given to him by Harry Potter himself. His eyes, devoid of any life. His hair, curled and damp with clumps of mud. His face dirty with sweat and rubble. He looks like a shell. 

But the sight that really releases everything is the Dark Mark. The mark that ruined everything. The mark he was tortured to take. Hours of agony as he was hit over and over and over again with the  _ crucio _ curse because of his defiance to the Dark Lord, before and after taking the mark.

It’s faded, now that Voldemort  is gone, but it’s still there. Still there, taunting him, torturing him. It trembles at the dark magic in the air.

He hates it.

Then suddenly there's a flash of red and orange, and a shrill scream echoes through the room. It takes him a moment to realise that the scream is coming from him. He hadn’t even realised he’d grabbed the hot poker from his fireplace and pressed it roughly against the black, evil blemish on his skin. 

But he’s still numb. He presses the metal down harder.

Then the poker is being wrenched out of his hand as he’s tackled to the ground, his body slamming painfully enough at he knows there's going to be bruises. He struggles for the poker, it's only a few inches out of reach. He just needs to reach a little further. Just a little furth-.

The poker is snatched from the ground. Draco doesn’t know who took it and a desperate wail claws its way out of his throat. He writhes under his captor as they attempt to restrain it. 

“Damn, for someone so small, you sure are strong.”

The voice is so recognizable that he screeches, shrilly. Ronald Weasley yells out at the loud noise. Draco bucks him off and attempts to stand before he’s tackled again. More desperate wails escape him. Waves and waves of feelings attack him over and over and over again and he’s breaking. Right in front of the Golden Trio, right in front of his mother, he is breaking, being torn apart from his feelings before being put back together again with the knowledge that he deserves this! That he deserves all this pain- then he breaks again. He breaks again and again and again.

He can’t stop screaming. The mark on his arm stings slightly but it’s not enough. It needs to be bubbling with pain. It needs to be bleeding. He can’t do anything but scream and struggle until his strength finally runs out. He collapses bonelessly. His heart pounds loudly in his chest. He hates it. Hates the fact that he’s still living, that his heart is still pumping. He hates that his blood is still flowing. He hates that he is still alive while others were killed because of his inability to simply say no.

He hates it.

He hates it so very much.

“If I let you go, you promise not to go after the poker?”

Draco doesn't move. He’s numb again.

Harry Potter carefully detaches himself from Draco. He still watches him carefully though, watching as his arch-nemesis takes in the room full of people. Granger, standing by fireplace, steaming poker in her trembling hands. Ronald Weasley watching him beside Potter. His mother stands near the door, eyes filled with tears, her hand covering her mouth, stifling soft sobs as her half-naked son trembles with strain.

Draco doesn’t move. Barely even breathes. He just lays there, motionless, like a corpse. Like the corpse he should be.

“Mrs. Malfoy, why don’t you pack up his clothes, anything you think he’ll need?” Granger said carefully, eyeing the blonde on the floor wearily. 

Narcissa quickly snaps into action. She throws open his wardrobe doors and snags clothes from the carefully ordered and organised hangers. She shoves his clothes in the bag. Probably as desperate as Draco to be out of the Manor.

Granger walks over to Draco, carefully. She gestures to his faded mark, already bubbling up with pus filled blisters. 

“Would you like me to help with that?” she asked.

“Can you take it off?” Draco asked, voice dead and dry. 

Narcissa pauses for a moment before resuming her frantic clothes grabbing. Even her rummaging isn't loud enough to hide the choked sob that escapes her.

Grangers eyes fill with pity. “No. I’m afraid not.”

“Then let me burn.”

Granger's eyes widen dramatically before she starts rummaging through her small handbag. She pulls out a small, black vial. She tries to take Draco’s left arm but he snarls viciously at her. Weasley’s eyes narrow and Granger snaps her hand back. Draco holds his injured, stained arm to his chest. 

“I said to leave it alone. Let it burn.” 

“But-,”

Draco turns his head away from her, eyes turning stony. Her voice cracks before she stands up and walks out of the room. 

Both Potter and Weasley watch Draco, faces unreadable. Only faint flickers of emotion visible. Pity, pain, sorrow. 

He hates it. How dare they pity him. How dare they feel bad for him, for choices he made. It makes him wish for the hatred, for the disgust and disappointment of the judges inside the Wizengamot. At least he’d know that he deserves it. That even though he walked out of that room, escaping Azkaban and the Dementor's Kiss, that he’s still being punished. That he won’t walk free. Draco knows he deserves hell. Not this small little miracle sent from the Merlin himself.

He shuts down. The weight of what he’s done combining with the lack of sleep forces his heavy eyes shut, all hs energy draining quickly. He faintly hears the sound of Potter and Weasley discussing the terms of their banishment from London before they fade into a world filled with red and black mist.

 

* * *

 

As Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley watch Draco’s eyes slip shut, they know that their childhood bully is gone, shattered. They watch as the boy lay naked on the cold marble floor, shivering violently, that they won't ever get him back. If they’d known a year ago that their terrorizer would finally lose the ability to simply throw a single insult, they would have been ecstatic.

But now, watching his small, bony frame tremble, the only think they feel is pity. 

Draco Malfoy is broken. 

Not even he deserves this. 


	2. Chapter 2

Boredom.

That's all Harry Potter felt as he sat at his desk at the Aurors Department, filling out file after file of paperwork. It’d been a long, uneventful week and all Harry wanted to do was go home, sit down in front of his TV with a nice, big bowl filled with buttery popcorn and watch a movie. It's been years since he’s had a break.

He wondered if he’d have to commit a crime himself just to get a bit of fresh air.

Then Ron came busting through the door and Harry could barely contain his joy at seeing his best friend as he barged in, eyes wide and frantic.

“Harry! Okay, so, you know how some of the guys have been trying to embrace the new muggle technology and how we’ve been playing around on BoobTube-,”

“You mean YouTube?”

“- Yeah, that, well, anyways, Dean and I were listening to this muggle singer named LOLO, she’s fantastic by the way, mate, I highly recommend her-.”

“Ron, what are you going on about?”

“Well, if you’d let me finish, I’d tell you!”

Harry held his hands out. “Okay, fine, what?”

Ron slammed the laptop he carried in here on the desk and turns the volume up all the way. “Look!”

He clicks the play button and I lean forward in my chair, curious.

At first the video is silent and black. Then 12 Rounds by Drake Meyers shows up in white cryptic looking letters. Then a nice beat begins.

A man with platinum blonde hair shows up and he starts singing as he walks through what looks to be a cemetery. He’s covered in dark robes, head held high and faced away from the camera as he walked. His voice is low, a pleasant sound.

“Set fire to the roses on my grave.  
It's not my time, my soul ain't yours to take.  
I'm coming home, I've got some things to say.  
My gloves are on and my shoes are almost laced, laced.”

Then a nice, hard and intense beat starts up as he walks into a mausoleum. The lights fade out until he starts singing again, but instead of the heavy black cloak he was wearing, he now does a fashionable pair of silver boxing shorts, green boxing gloves covering his pale hands. He has on a shimmering, long-sleeved cloak on now but it's so short it barely reached the back of his knees. The blonde stands to the side as another man in black circles the ring, wearing black shorts, black gloves and a black cloak. Both mens faces are hidden from view.

“When the reaper comes knocking at my door…  
We'll be going 12 rounds.  
Tell the Devil I'll be coming back for more!  
We'll be going 12 rounds.”

The music goes back to being smooth and intense.

“I'm drowning all these voices in the sea…  
And meeting all my vices in the ring.  
So step inside, I ain't afraid to bleed.  
There ain't a casket strong enough for me, me…”

“When the reaper comes knocking at my door…  
(Whoa) We'll be going 12 rounds!  
Tell the Devil I'll be coming back for more!  
(Whoa) We'll be going 12 rounds.”

The man in black throws a hard punch but the man in silver swiftly dodges and the black boxing gloves hits a metal bar in the ring.

“'Cause I fight for everything I die for,  
Everything I bled onto the ground sacrificed for!  
When the reaper comes knocking at my door…  
(Whoa) We'll be going 12 rounds!”

The man in black lands multiple punches into the man in silver before kneeing him in the gut. The crowd roars distantly with victory. The man in black body slams the man in silver, keeping a hand around his neck to make sure he doesn’t get up.

“I'm black and blue, my back's against the ropes…  
Your hands around my neck, but I won't choke…  
My heart is strong, my veins are paved with hope…  
And when I stand up your bones will all be broke, broke…”

Small cracks start to form in the silver mans neck as the man in black presses him harder into the ground, slowly choking the life out of him. The silver mans sharp silver eyes glare into the dark, faceless hood of the man in black.

“When the reaper comes knocking at my door…  
(Whoa) We'll be going 12 rounds.  
Tell the Devil I'll be coming back for more.  
(Whoa) We'll be going 12 rounds!”

The man in silver moves swiftly, kicking the man in blacks legs out from under him. The man in black falls to the ground and the silver man in on him in seconds, punching furiously, blood spraying everywhere.

“'Cause I fight for everything I die for,  
Everything I bled onto the ground sacrificed for!  
When the reaper comes knocking at my door…  
(Whoa) We'll be going 12 rounds!”

Then the man in blacks hood falls backwards from his face, revealing sharp angles, sharp silver eyes and pale skin. Harry’s blood runs cold as he stares into the eyes of Draco Malfoy. The man in silver also seems to be in shock before his own hood falls back, revealing another version of Draco Malfoy. They both stare at each other, one with surprise, the other with complete hatred and murder in his eyes.

“No I won't die, no not tonight…  
No I won't die, no not tonight…  
No I won't die, no not tonight…”

A scythe appears in the darker Draco’s hands and he swings it at Silver Draco. He barely dodges in time and the scythe goes through one of the metal beams as if it were sliding through halfway melted ice cream.

“When the reaper comes knocking at my door...   
(Whoa) We'll be going 12 rounds!  
Tell the Devil I'll be coming back for more!  
(Whoa) We'll be going 12 rounds!”

After narrowly avoiding more attempts at with the scythe, Silver Draco finally grabs it from his darker self. He kicks him down and swings the scythe to meet with darker Draco's neck. A bead of blood forms as he presses the scythe deeper and deeper into the dark mans neck. Silver Draco glares into his darker self with pain and determination. His darker self grins evilly as the lighter boy clearly starts to struggle with a decision.

“'Cause I fight for everything I die for,  
Everything I bled onto the ground sacrificed for!  
When the reaper comes knocking at my door…  
(Whoa) We'll be going 12 rounds!”

Silver Draco watches as he cuts off his darker self's head. The scene isn't quite there but it's implied and a dark pool of blood forms around Silver Draco’s feet before the screen immediately goes blank.

Harry simply sits there, his mind still processing that that was Draco Malfoy, out in the muggle world, in a music video.

Suddenly his mind hurts. It simply doesn’t make sense. He wants to ask if we’ve sent any aurors out to find capture him or if we even know if it's really Draco.

“What the fuck?” is all that comes out instead.

Ron shakes his head slowly, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Exactly. Who knew that Draco Malfoy would ever be living in the muggle world?”

“You okay, mate? You don’t look so good.”

Harry chuckles sharply. “Thanks for that. How else am I supposed to react?”

Ron shrugs, looking slightly uncomfortable all of a sudden. “I don’t know. Maybe be happy that we finally found him?”

“Why on earth would I be happy about this?”

“Because we’ve been searching for him for five years? Because now Blaise and Pansy will stop harassing us about finding him? I mean, unless you like having Blaise around all the time. I know you two enjoy eye-fucking each other whenever they show up, but still-”

“No, Ron, we don’t eye-fuck each other. It's-, just-,” Harry lets out an exasperated breath. “We don’t eye-fuck each other!”

Ron watches him suspiciously. “Uh-huh. Fine, look, maybe you could be happy because the man you’ve secretly been in love with for years has finally shown himself-,”

“I was never in love with Draco Malfoy!”

“-And now you can stop flirting with Blaise-,"

“I don’t flirt with Blaise!”

“-And finally catch the one that got away!” Ron finishes.

“Have you completely lost your mind? Have you gone completely bonkers?"

“Maybe. Those Milly Cyus-,”

“Miley Cyrus.”

“-videos have really messed with me. Who sings naked on a wrecking ball? How is she not afraid of infection?”

Harry sighs. “Never mind that. Have we sent any aurors after him?”

Ron shakes his head. “No, but we can’t find a direct location. Apparently he likes to move around a lot. But, the singer I was telling you about, her stage name is Stormy. She doesn’t have many songs out, but she does have a YouLube-.”

“YouTube.”

“-YouTube account where she posts “daily vlogs”. I already put some of the others on that so they’re going through her vlogs and trying to nab their most recent location so we can track them down and-”

Dean bursts in the door, carrying his own laptop.

“-And there he is. Dean, what have you found?”

Dean sets down his computer beside Ron and sits on Harry’s desk. “Well, finding him in her vlogs wasn’t very hard, the two seem to be attached to the hip, meaning they never go anywhere without the other.”

“Dean, we know what “attached to the hip” means.” Harry said, trying to stifle a grin.

Dean waves a hand at Harry. “Never mind that. We found out that Malfoy is going under a fake alias name called Drake Meyers and the girls name is Vee Strom. She was orphaned when she turned 10, spent years on the streets of Chicago before working at a stripper bar as soon as she turned 16 which is where I assume she met Malfoy- although what he was doing in a stripper bar called the White Swallow, I do not know, although I assume it was to find a job there since it hires both male and females. He got the job, worked there for a year or two before they both split, leaving nothing behind.”

“Wait- wait. How did you find out about all this in a matter of minutes?” Harry asked.

Dean smiles guiltily. I actually found their YouTube channel a few days ago. I didn’t want to say anything until I got down all the facts.”

Ron nods. “Understandable.”

“Good job, Dean. Continue please.” Harry said.

“Well, they split exactly four years ago and their channel was created about three years ago. They became wildly famous quickly with all the songs and vlogs they make. Their channels were some of the fastest growing channels in the entire history of YouTube. Vlogs are posted everyday. Malfoy and Vee both have three albums out already and they’re planning on going on tour. Tour details are being copied as we speak. But with all this good news, there's a little bad."

Harry nods. “Of course there is. What is it?”

“Apparently few witches and wizards have caught sight of him, tried to nab him, but he slipped through their hands, quit literally too. They called it in, but apparently no one thought that a Malfoy, free of charges, would be important enough to come to the aurors about so they simply forgot about it.”

“The bad news?” Ron asked.

“The bad news is, that since the last run in with him, he’s become almost invisible to the Wizarding World. He’s seen all over in muggle cities but no one has caught a simple glimpse of him in five years. It’s like he became invisible to anything with magical abilities.”

“So if we want to find him, then look like a muggle, act like a muggle, and speak like a muggle.” Harry said.

“Exactly,” Dean bites his lip. “Which is why when I told Robards about it, he said that you and Ron were to stay here and wait for any orders until further notice."

Harry jumps up, his chair falling backwards and he slaps a hand hard against his desk, his eyes filled with cold fury. “WHAT?”

Dean and Ron both jump.

“WHY?”

“Because he’s afraid that is Malfoy gets even a single hunch that it’s you, that he’ll run.”

“There's polyjuice for a reason!”

“But Malfoy’s known you for years, it wouldn't be hard to catch on to any of your habits or tendencies.” Dean explained.

“That's shite!” Harry shouted, utterly infuriated. “I’ve been searching for him relentlessly for the past five years, he can’t just say- command me to stay as soon as we catch wind of him!”

“Harry, mate, just sit down. We’ll talk to Robards about this as soon as you calm down, we don’t want to make a scene-,” Ron started.

“Fuck that! I’ll make a scene if I feel like making a scene!” Harry shouted before storming out of his own office, slamming the door shut behind him.

Ron and Dean just stand in Harry’s office, mouths agape.

“Sooooo, maybe I should have let Robards tell him that himself.” Dean said.

“Probably.”

* * *

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO STAY HERE?"

“Mr. Potter, please lower your voice.” Robards calmly said.

Harry struggled with his anger before beating it down. “Why am I being forced to stay here while you send some rookie trainees out to find the slipperiest snake that ever did slither?”

Robards gave him a strange look. “With all due respect, Mr. Potter, you haven’t much room to talk. You’ve been with the Aurors Department for 4 years. You’re barely fresh out of training yourself.”

Harry clenched his jaw. Robards sighed.

“Look, Harry, We just can’t risk losing sight of Draco Malfoy again. Ms. Parkinson and Mr. Zabini are willing to pay a large amount of money to get him back.”

“But-,”

“No buts, Harry Potter,” Robards said sternly. “I strongly suggest that you take the month off; clear your mind about this Draco Malfoy nonsense. If I find out you ran Mr. Malfoy off by showing your face to him, there will be consequences. You’re off this case, Potter. Off. This. Case.”

Harry clenched his jaw once more before storming out.

* * *

And that's how Harry Potter's plan to catch Draco Malfoy began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my beautiful, patient people! Thank you guys for being so supportive with my story and thank you for being so patient, I honestly don't know how you guys do it, but you're wonderful! 
> 
> As you can obviously tell, I've added on some tags as I progressed with this story. Yes, there will be lots of music, lots of immaturity and lots of sexual innuendos and just sexual talking in general because it made me laugh. If you have nay questions of how far any of that will go, don't hesitate to ask because.... I literally have nothing else to do. 
> 
> The song used in this chapter was called 12 Rounds by Bohnes, GUYS their music is fantastic and I highly recommend their music. 
> 
> I do not own Harry Potter or the characters; they belong to the utterly brilliant J.K.Rowling.
> 
> See you guys in 2 weeks! Please enjoy.


	3. Vee Strom

_April 5th, 2012_

 

_*                                                                            *                                                                          *_

 

_“So… You used to live in a_ Manor _?”_

_Draco stared at the dark girl in front of him. “Really? That’s all you got from that story?”_

_Vee shrugged, taking a long, deliberate slurp of her Root Beer. “I mean, sure the rest is cool and all, but a Manor? Really? Do you know how old you sound when you say that? Why not just say ‘Mansion’?” she leaned forward and placed her hands underneath her chin, the only sign that she’s even the slightest bit intrigued._

_Draco smirked. “Because unlike you, I wasn’t raised in a barn, I have manners and know proper etiquette. I came from class.”_

_Vee snorted. “And where did that “class” get you? You’re in a bar wearing sparkly silver boy shorts with hundred dollar bills hanging out near your dick. How on earth is that “classy”?”_

_Draco snarled at her. “Like you have room to talk. You’re in your knickers and a bra that barely fits those monstrous tits-,”_

_“Fantastically monstrous tits.”_

_“-and your face is so painted I can barely make out your skin color.”_

_“I thought I was showing too much skin for you?”_

_Draco flipped her the bird. “Sullen wench.”_

_Vee grinned nastily. “I try. I really bring in the doe when I do.”_

_Draco laughed. “You really are amazing, you know?”_

_“Oh, I know,” her eyes sparkled. “You wouldn't be here if I weren't. You’d still be up on that stage, shaking your ass for the crowd like your life depended on it. Which it would if it weren’t for me.” she boasted._

_“Yeah yeah, if it weren’t for you I’d be sleeping in the the streets and would be selling my body like a whore-,”_

_“Which sucks.”_

_“-which definitely would suck and you should know. Whore.”_

_Vee threw her head back and cackled catching Draco so off guard that he choked on his own chuckle. They laughed for a while before they calmed down._

_Draco sniffed. “No, but really, Thank you, Vee, for helping me out. And I’m really sorry for what you’ve been through.”_

_“And you’re sorry for me having to take your shit for the past month...  ”_

_Draco grinned. “And I’m sorry that you had to deal with all my shite for the past month.”_

_Vee smirked before cracking her knuckles, the sound lost in the pounding bass of the music in the club. “Apology accepted. I’m sorry about your mom. Not so sorry about your dad though.”_

_“Don’t worry, neither am I. Bastard got what he deserved. I hope it hurt.” Draco snarled, hatred for his father filling him to the brim. Vee’s eyes turned watchful; her weary eyes._

_“But you know you can’t just hold on to that hatred. You have to let it go at some point or you’ll boil over.” she said, a hint of worry glimmering in her sharp, hawk-like eyes._

_“I’m not holding onto anything, especially for that horrible man who ruined my life and killed my mother. Definitely not.” Draco sniffed._

_“I’m just saying, that hatred will destroy you. Take it from someone who knows. Or, even better, take it from your own history.” Vee said._

_“What the fuck are you talking about, Vee?”_

_“I mean, think about all the hatred you grew up in? Lucius taught you to hate muggles and half-bloods, leading you to a long rivalry with the Golden Boy and his two musketeers, then leads you to the Dark voodoo man with no nose, which is fucked up, then your mother kills herself because she sees how raising you in all this hatred has destroyed you and is officially unable to take the pain of knowing she let Lucius ruin you.” Vee explained, slurping loudly on her drink and stealing one of Draco’s fries. He barely notices._

_“How-,”_

_She sat the drink down on the table just as one of the other dancers call for them. Five minutes until they switch back out. Draco stood up, offering Vee a hand but she waved him off.  They grabbed their trash before throwing it away and heading towards the mirrors to slightly refresh themselves._

_Vee fluffed her straight, dark brown hair and made sure it fell perfectly around her neck but still showed off the provocative choker she had on._

_“Just think about it and quite just thinking about one thing and look at the entire picture. How would you feel if you let your husband lead your child into the same path you went through? You’d feel terrible. I know I would hate to be in her shoes. Well, probably not because I hear you had a shit ton of money and only the best shoes imaginable, so maybe I wouldn’t mind.” Vee finished. Once satisfied with herself she turned back to Draco and watched as he adjusted himself in the tight booty shorts and brought his fringe out in front of his eyes._

_“But-,”_

_“Drake,” Vee said sternly, hands on her hips, amber eyes narrowed and 6-inch, black studded stiletto clad feet tapping on the hardwood floor impatiently. “Listen to me. I understand that you’ve never had to really care about why people do what they do, but this is your chance to better yourself, to see things from other people's point of views. Try to see why Lucius led you down the road that lead you to this- dancing starkers in a titty bar!”_

_Draco breathed out deeply._

_Vee laid a hand on his cheek, eyes filled with a tenderness he hadn't seen since his mother passed. “Look, just- just think about it. Okay?”_

_Draco nodded a few times. Vee smiled softly. He stared at her for a while while she continued to caress his cheek with her thumb before pulling away from him. He caught her hand and she looked back up at him._

_“I’m going to get you out of here, Vee. Someday. And you will never have to dance for wrinkly old geezers again in your life.”_

 

_*                                                                             *                                                               *_

 

_April 24th, 2012_

 

_*                                                                            *                                                                  *_

 

_“Open your eyes.” Draco lowered his hand from Vee’s eyes and they shuttered open, immediately filling with tears._

_“Drake- What on earth…?”_

_“It’s ours. I also got us full time jobs at a Starbucks nearby.” Draco explained, enjoying himself as he watched Vee take in the small, two bedroom house. “I know it’s not much, but I just wanted to get you away from-,”_

_Vee tackled Draco, nearly sending them both toppling to the ground. She hugged herself close to him, her chest shuddering with every ragged breath she draws as she tries not to break down sobbing. “It’s perfect. All of it, it’s so perfect, thank you so much, thank you.”_

_Draco hugged her back just as tightly. “Happy 18th Birthday, Vee.”_

_They stood there, in front of the yard to their new house in the middle of the north side in Chicago, just hugging, holding onto each other for dear life._

_When they finally pulled away, Vee jabbed him in the side with her elbow. He hissed._

_“What the fuck was that for, bitch?” Draco snarled._

_“That was for making me cry, asshole. You didn’t have to do this.” Vee said, voice trembling slightly._

_Draco’s face softened as he rubbed his injured side. “I did. I know how much you hate it in the south side and I promised to get you out. I promised you a better life and when a Malfoy wants something-”_

_“-He gets it. Ridiculous. Utterly insane, you are.”_

_“I prefer to think of it as being eccentric.”_

_“Eccentric my natural black ass. Insane. Crazy. Simply bonkers.”_

_“Then what does that make you?”_

_“That makes me…. A princess. A horribly, cliche princess. Ugh.”_

_“You know, when you’re emotional, your accent really shows. It’s pretty hot.”_

_“Shut up, you nutcase, and show me the inside of it.”_

 

_*                                                                            *                                                                  *_

 

_November 5th, 2011_

 

_*                                                                            *                                                                   *_

 

_Draco was lost._

_Here he stood in the middle of only Merlin knows where, in the middle of winter with only his trousers and t-shirt with an old ratty pair of sneakers. The last things his mother had given him before she’d passed._

_He rubbed a hand over his face, his throat clogging up with unshed tears._

**_‘What am I going to do?’_ **

_“Hey!”_

_Draco whipped around as a young voice, female, slightly accented with the promise of scottish ancestry. He saw no one but a young female, dark, with a bob cut in a coat a few sizes larger than what's needed for someone of her small size. She seemed to be smoking, but he didn't smell any tobacco, anly a fruity, minty aroma._

_“Hey, frosty, you lost?” the girl asked, smoke billowing from her nostrils. A cool trick that almost makes her look like a human dragon. She grinned at him._

_Draco snarled, defences rising quickly. “No, I am not lost!”_

_The girl raised an eyebrow. Before walking towards him. Draco reaches his hand into his trouser pocket discreetly, hand fisting his wand, ready to draw if needed._

_“Look, I ain’t judging. Just observing, and you look like you’re lost.”_

_“Do I now?” Draco asked drily._

_The girl nodded. “Mhm. You also look like you’ve been through a storm. Although, that's not so surprising if you’re here.”_

_“Here? Where might “here” be?” he asked, wearily._

_The girl snorted before taking another drag of her smoke, the end glowing a bright purple. Definitely not a cigarette. She blew it out lazily, a large white cloud billowing out around her head. Draco watches, utterly enchanted with the way the smoke smelled and formed an almost halo above her head. “You kidding me? We’re in the middle of the South Side in Chicago. About a block away from the White Swallow.”_

_“What is that?”_

_“It’s a club for bisexuals.”_

_“No, not the club, that- that thing you’re smoking?”_

_She held up a teardrop shaped object, about the size of her palm. “It’s a vape. You never seen one before?” she took another drag, this time blowing it out and creating a series of rings._

_Draco shook his head, entranced. “No. I’ve never seen one before. Why’s it smell like that?”_

_The girl raised an eyebrow. “You got a lot of questions for a guy who claims he isn’t lost. You seem like you’ve been living under a rock for a while.” she looked past him, her eyes narrowing._

_“Look, my shift just ended, I’m heading home, you planning on staying out here in the cold or you got somewhere to go, Tinkerbell?”_

_Draco shook his head._

_“Is that a no to both of my questions, frosty?”_

_Draco nodded._

_The girl watched him for a while, seeming to be having an internal struggle inside her head. Finally, she speaks. “You want to come back to my place?”_

_Draco snapped out of his stupor. “_ **_No_ ** _, I do not want to go to your place! I’m not a_ **_whore_ ** _!”_

_She rolled her eyes. “Does it look like I got enough money to buy someone like you? No, it does not, I barely have enough money to afford my house. But unless you want to stay here and try and talk those guys-,” she points behind him and he turns around, noticing a group of black guys watching their exchange. The look in their eyes made him shudder._

_“-into not taking you home and having their way with you against your will, then I strongly suggest you come with me. You’ll be safe there,” she reached into her coat and discreetly showed off something black and small. A gun. “But if you plan on trying something, I’ll have you on your ass faster than you can even open that snarky little mouth of yours, capiche?”_

_Draco nodded. Anything to get him away from those wolf-like stares._

_She put the gun away before jerking her head behind her and swiveling around quickly on her heel and clacking away. “Come along then, Jacky-Boy. We ain’t got all night. I don’t want to run into any more junkies tonight than I have too.”_

_Draco jogged over to her quickly. Even though she seems to be about 5’3, a few feet smaller than him, her legs move fast._

_“My name is Vee. Don’t ask for my last name, I won’t give it. If you hear anyone call me Stormy, don’t be surprised. And don’t be surprised if I pull out my glock. It’ won’t be trained on you if you don’t try to get fresh with me.”_

_Draco nodded, trying to process half the words she just said. “My name is-,”_

_“Don’t give me your real name. It’d be stupid of you if you did in a neighborhood like this. Tell me your name when we get inside, until then, think of a different name. Best to be safe than sorry in these parts. You never know who’s watching.”_

_Draco shut his mouth. Another name? What name would he pick? What name could he possibly pick? In his hurry to escape the Manor, he hadn't thought that he'd need a new name if he really wanted a fresh start._

_Draco couldn’t help but slightly chastise himself for being so stupid. A fake alias would definitely be the smart thing to do in a place he knows nothing about. And besides, he came here to start over, to make a fresh new life for himself, to escape his past. A new name would do well to ensure his past never catches up to him._

_“We’re here.” Vee stopped in front of an old old. The white and black paint peels from the corners and black graffiti is painted into the wood._

_Vee looked up at him, eyes cold and weary- guarded eyes. “Remember, if you try anything-,”_

_“You’ll pull out your gun.” Draco interrupted. “I got it. Trust me, you got nothing to worry about from me.”_

_“Mhm,” she pulled out a set of keys as she walked up the steps to her door. She stuck in a silver key, twisted it sharply and with a few jiggles of it, the door came open with a click._

_She opened the door wide, allowing Draco in first. “Welcome to me casa. Make yourself at home. You hungry?” she walked in, shutting the door behind her with a slam, throwing her keys on a nice looking mahogany coffee table. Draco opened his mouth to answer her but she waved him off before heading through a door. It swung shut and she reappeared a moment later through a small opening in the wall- a window. The sound of running water filled the room but she talked over it as she washed her hands. “You look like a skeleton, so it doesn’t matter if you’re hungry or not, you’ll eat even if I have to force it down your throat. Take off your shoes and set them under the coffee table,” Draco gladly stripped himself of his shoes, freeing his soaked through and completely numb, sock-clad feet before doing as she said and putting his shoes under the coffee table. “You smell like a bar threw up on you, so head to the shower,” the water shuts off and she disappeard again._

_The loud sound of pots and pans rattling ring through the room before the sound of cabinets and drawers slamming open and shut take sover._

_“Bathroom is down the hallway and to the right. In the cabinets beside the sink you’ll find towels. I don’t have any men shower supplies, but you’ll just have to deal. Take as long as you need and throw your clothes out into the hallway before you get in. I’ll throw them in the washer. If they aren’t done in time then I have a neighbor, he’s about the same size as you, he owes me a favor,” the sound of a box opening split through the air._

_As she talked, Draco took in the room. The room was bigger than you’d think looking at the house from the outside. The painting is a bright eggshell white with dark mahogany trimming. A white love-seat in surprisingly good condition sits on the wall closest to the door, a black leather recliner sits on the opposite wall near a doorway that must lead into the hallway. A large, soft brown modular sofa sits in the back wall with matching pillows designed with dark purple splashes of color. The mahogany coffee table stands in the middle of the room. To the wall right of the door is a large platform T.V._

_When she caught sight of Draco just standing there taking in her room, she clapped her hands sharply, making him jump.  The smell of boiling water filled his nostrils. “Hey! Shower, now! You smell worse than I do and I smell like geriatric viagroids! Get!”_

_Draco scrambled through the doorway and a bright light automatically fills the hallway. It's the same color scheme as the dining room. White walls, mahogany trim. A door on each side, the other just at the end of the hallway. He opened the door to the right before fumbling for his wand. After making sure his hostess is still in the kitchen, he casts a quick_ **_Lumos_ ** _and a bright white light fills the room. He takes in his surroundings, looking for a light source quickly. A switch is on the wall beside him. Draco flipped the switch and the lights flickered on. The bathroom is nice with white ceramic floors. On the wall opposite the toilet is a hamper filled with a few dirty towels. A large mirror hangs above the averaged sized sink which is surrounded with hygienic supplies. A toothbrush with toothpaste sist neatly, side-to-side on one side of the sink with floss and mouthwash just right above it. On the other side is multiple types of hand soap. A bottle filled to the brim with a magenta liquid labelled_ **_Black Cherry Merlot_ ** _, another bottle filled with a clear liquid labelled_ **_Fresh Sparkling Snow_ ** _, a bottle filled with a red liquid with the label ripped off. He sniffed it; peppermint. Beside it, sitting on a black pedestal, green bar soap. Draco picked it up and sniffed again. Spearmint._

_He sat it back down and opened the cabinet beside the sink. Sure enough, there is an entire stack of black, purple and dark blue towels on the middle shelf. On the shelf above it is a large supply of feminine products including backup soaps, packs of hydro silk razors, shaving cream for sensitive skin, toothpaste, and toothbrushes_

_“She thinks ahead. She saves up. Smart.” Draco mumbled to himself before grabbing a dark blue towel and setting it down on the counter. He closed the cabinet before stripping. As told, he throws his clothes out into the hallway. He struggled for a while with the handles in the shower but eventually got the hang of it. The shower is a walk-in with glass doors. Shampoo and conditioner is on the floor of one side of the shower while rose scented body wash and a loofah is on the other side. As soon as he turned on the hot water, steam immediately started to fog up the glass. Draco sighed heavily before stepping in, nearly moaning at the magnificent heat._

_He took his time in the shower, slowly rubbing his skin raw with the loofah, covered in her rose body wash. He could already feel his muscles relaxing for the first time since his trial. He welcomed it freely. He scrubbed the nasty smell of ash and dust from his hair with the shampoo. He rinsed it out quickly, watching the dirty suds and bubbles drain out before putting in the conditioner. He let it set before scrubbing his skin once more._

_After a while, he shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. He breathed in the sharp, cool air scented with the combination of the **Pantene** and body wash. He felt for the first time in months like he could breathe again. _

_He loved it._

_And for the first time in two years, he smiled._

_He wrapped the towel around his waist and used another one to dry his hair. After drying his hair, Draco grabbed one of the extra toothbrushes, smears toothpaste on it before brushing his teeth furiously. The taste and smell of mint fills his senses. When done, he washed his mouth out with the blue mouthwash, leaving it in for a minute, swishing it around like the directions say before spitting. He turned on the water to rinse out the white foam._

_He opened the door, forgetting that he just met Vee, lost in the sense of home he hasn't felt in years. He walked into the living room, the towel still around his waist._

_“Good, you’re done,” Draco nearly dropped the towel as he jumped, swiveling around quickly to see Vee, still in the large coat, smelling of the vape. She must have just came back in._

_She handed him a stack of folded clothes. “Here you go. They may be a little loose on you, since you have the frame of a skeleton, but, whatever. We’ll get you new clothes tomorrow. Dinner is on the table. Go change, then come back out and eat. It's spaghetti, I ain’t no chef either so no complaining. There's garlic bread on the stove, eat as much as you like. If I’m not back before you’re done eating, there are blankets on the sofa. Feel free to crash there. If I come back and I find anything- I mean ANYTHING- missing, I will find you and kick your scrawny ass all the way back to those fuck-ups who wanted to take you home with them, understand?”_

_Draco nodded, eyes wide. “Yeah, shite, I got it. Where exactly do you think I’d go?”_

_“Wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to scam me. Those right there in your hand are pajamas. I’ll lay you out some clothes in the morning. We’ll discuss what's happening when you wake up. Tonight, if i’m back in time, you’re going to tell me what you’re doing in a place like this and not knowing a damn think about it. Eat, I will head out.” she said before turning back around and leaving out the door, leaving zero room for discussion._

_Draco breathed out deeply. He changed quickly. She was right about the boxers. They were loose on him. They hung lowly around his hips showing his v-line clearly. The t-shirt was grey and was too tight on him, so he simply took it off and folded it neatly before setting it on the coffee table. He walked into the kitchen. He was not surprised with the same color scheme._

_The kitchen had a cooking area and a cherry mahogany dining table across from it. The spaghetti sat in the middle of the table and just as she said, the garlic bread was on the stove with a few pieces missing from it. Draco grabbed the plate set out for him plate- dark blue and almost spotless, with a fork right beside it- and grabbed a few pieces of garlic bread- which smelled divine- and plopped himself down in one of the chairs and scooped a huge heap of spaghetti- and meatballs, sweet heavenly meatballs- onto his plate before digging in. He didn’t bother to stifle his moan. She said she wasn’t a chef- could have fooled Draco._

_Vee came in just as he was washing his plate. She slammed the door shut behind her and threw her coat on the love-seat before heading down the hallway. A door shuts a few seconds later and the sound of the shower starting up can be heard._

_Draco wrapped up the leftovers with saran-wrap and put it in the fridge, silently thanking his mother for teaching him the basics of muggle living before she passed._

_Just as the door to the fridge is shut, Vee came out in a pair of black cotton booty shorts and a tight white camisole. For the first time all night, Draco allowed himself to study his snarky hostess._

_Her skin is lightly tanned, dark enough to be considered African American and holds zero blemishes. Her legs are long and smooth, miles of flawless skin, toned slightly, just as well as her arms. Her stomach is so long and flat her hip bones protrude almost vulgarly and her ribs are only slightly visible. She’s got a tattoo of a raven on one shoulder and a pentacle on the other. Her breasts bulge from her chest, big enough to be at least a Double D. Her arse is nicely rounded. Her toenails are painted a dark coral blue, the same color as her fingernails, which are nicely shaped, and long. Her lips are nice and full, slightly chapped yet doing nothing to hide her obvious beauty. Her almond eyes are a bright amber with flecks of green around the pupils, surrounded with thick, long lashes. Her nose is small and petite, just like her body frame. She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at Draco. She placed her hands on her hips. “You done checking me out?”_

_Draco flushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare, I just- I couldn’t get a good look at you before. I didn’t mean to offend you-,”_

_She waved him off. “It’s fine. Just don’t touch me and I won’t have to break those long fingers of yours.”_

_Draco nodded. “Of course, I mean- I wouldn’t- I mean- I just-,” he sighed, ”You’re not my type.” he finished lamely._

_“I figured. You’re too fragile to be straight. You’re not assertive, you just give off… this vibe. I’m good at reading people, and honey, you were never a threat. But I am. I just have to make sure you get it through your head that nothing in this city is scarier than me. Don’t forget that.” Vee said. She opened up a cabinet and pulled out a glass cup, filling it up with vodka. She offered Draco a cup but he declined. She shrugged before pulling him into the living room. She plopped down in the recliner and Draco sat himself down on the loveseat, nearly sinking straight into it._

_Vee turned her body around folding her legs across the arm of the chair. She leaned back with a sigh. “So, Frosty. I already know you’re not from around here. Your accent, grammar, attitude, and aristocratic features imply that you obviously come from money. You’re trying to start over in some place new. Although, why you’d chose here is beyond me. The scars on your chest imply abuse of some sort. I don't think they’d be from bullying in school. The tattoo on your arm could be a sign of rebellion or a gang symbol. Although by the look of that hardly faded burn scar, someone wasn’t happy about it.”_

_Halfway through her profiling speech, Draco froze._

_Vee noticed this. She shrugged. “You don’t have to tell me where the scars come from, but if that tattoo is a gang symbol, I want nothing-,”_

_“It is.” Draco’s voice is raw, ragged. “It’s something like that. But that’s why I’m here- in Chicago. I’m here for a fresh start, like you said. My family got in with some bad people. Father go the death sentence, mother just passed a few days ago; suicide. I ran. I don’t want anything to do with what I left behind. I promise they can’t find me here. Almost all of them are locked up. I never wanted anything to do with it. You’re right about it all. I wasn’t bullied, I came from money, the scars-” he choked on tears, unshed tears. “I was the bully, I was raised to hate… people different than me. But- I don’t want to live like that anymore! I want to be my own person! Me- I just want to be me!”_

_Draco is startled when he feels someone sit on his lap and wrap their arms around him. He hadn’t even realized he’d been sobbing- screaming out the confession he’d buried so deep down inside of himself. The smell of roses enveloped him and he buries his face in Vee’s neck, wrapping his arms around her slim waist as she caressed his hair. His sobs were ugly and loud and wet. He was sure his nose was running but neither one of them seem to care._

_“I’m sorry, I’m **so** **so** **sorry**.” he cried. _

_“Oh, honey. It’s okay now, you’re safe. I’ve got you.” she soothed._

_“No, **no** it’s not okay! So many people **dead** because of me!” _

_She rubbed his back as he shuddered through heart wrenching sobs. “There we go, let it all out. It’s not smart to bottle all these things up inside for so long.”_

_She just held onto him, rocking him side-to-side as he cried it out._

_When he’d calmed down and only left with small hiccups, he pulled away. He couldn't look up at her, too ashamed of the mess he’d made on her camisole._

_“I’m sorr-,” he started but she cut him off._

_“If you apologize one more time, I’m going to have yank out this baby-fine hair of yours.” she lifted his head, forcing him to make eye contact. Her eyes are soft- kind and gentle eyes. The eyes of a true kind soul._

_“You don’t have to tell me what happened, you don’t have to tell me what you did. But if it helps, tell me as much as you want. I have no friends so I can’t tell anyone anything you’ve been through. I don’t even know your real name. But what I do know, is that the past is in the past and that it’s best to leave it there. It’s best to acknowledge what you’ve done wrong, allow yourself some time to grieve, and then move on.”_

_Draco looked up at her, lip still trembling. She combed her fingers through his hair. One of her hands came down to caress his face, wiping away stray tears. Draco closed his eyes, laying his hands on hers, allowing himself the comfort of another's company. His thumb rubbed her knuckles gently. Her hands are small and soft. Dainty hands._

_He breathed in deeply. “My name used to be Draco Malfoy, and I am the main cause of many deaths, because of my cowardice, in one day.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, I'm back with another chapter. Thank you so much for being so patient and for all the love I've gotten from you. I just wanted to say that I'm thinking about changing the name of this story to PERSPECTIVE. I think you guys would really understand why in a few chapters. 
> 
> Tell me what you think of me changing the name. If I do end up changing it thought it'll most likely happen tomorrow.
> 
> Thank you for all your love and support again.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, the Queen J.K.Rowling does. (Bless her soul)
> 
> See you all in two weeks!


	4. Long Beach, California

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!!!  
> Brief, slightly in depth description of rape  
> Angst  
> Slight mention of murder and dismembering limbs

_October 12, 2018: Present Day_

 

* * *

 

“And this, my beautiful people, is our new home!” Vee beamed. She held her  camcorder selfie style, making sure her and their penthouse were in the frame. Over the last few years, she’d let her hair grow out so now it reached halfway down her back. She liked to wear beanies to keep it from getting in her eyes, she said. It didn’t work very well half the time but Draco was tired of trying to convince her so.

After moving to California, Draco and Vee found an apartment in San Francisco. It seemed like the best choice. They wanted to move somewhere quiet, but not too quiet and San Francisco seemed perfect. They lived there for a year before Draco caught sight of some old witches, who then decided to stalk them for a while. Draco decided it was time to move again. Thankfully though, with their YouTube channel take-off, money wasn’t a problem. So they moved somewhere nicer. They bought a beach house in Malibu after Draco finally got access to the Malfoy vaults once again and whatever was left to him of the Black fortune. He heard that most of it went to his old nemesis, left to him by his cousin Sirius Black. But despite a large portion of their money being gone, there was still plenty of money for them to live off of, so they converted the pounds into American dollars (It took a while, but Vee finally helped him understand American Money, and in turn, he showed her how to convert them into British pounds) and took a few months off to figure out what they wanted to do in life.

They decided they wanted to do something easy, but something that gave them enough time to properly get acquainted with their new lifestyle. Vee went back to college and is now working on her Masters degree. She’d already finished halfway and Draco couldn’t be more proud.

As for Draco, he found joy in singing and in her spare time, Vee helped him with his music videos. Draco kept himself up most nights writing songs and editing their videos. They both learned how to properly use technology after many comments complaining about the quality of their vlogs, so they upgraded. They were very eager to learn the ropes about technology (Vee was too poor to afford it and Draco was curious about any human inventions). Draco had questions about nearly everything, she taught him everything she could patiently and in turn, he spoiled her rotten.

They had both finally found happiness in each other. They were their own small family. And no one would ever take that away from them.

“Vee, where did you put my equipment?” Draco called from the back of the U-Haul.

Vee giggled, unable to contain her joy for her new life. “It's probably still in the Jeep, ass-face. You didn’t want to risk them breaking, remember?”

“Fuck- yeah I remember now! ‘Shites expensive, why wouldn’t I be worried about them breaking?”

“Because you’re a pussy?”

Draco flipped her the bird before his head disappeared. Vee turned back to the camera.

“As you can so clearly see, we have moved again, just like we’ve been talking about in our past seven vlogs. This time, we’ve moved to Long Beach. You know how we love the beach. Anyway, this is our penthouse! Isn’t it beautiful? If you’d told me four years ago that I’d be living in a penthouse, I would have pistol whipped you so hard-,”

“Vee! Would you get in here and help me unpack?” Draco asked from the Jeep before he passed by her with his arms full with two large boxes, the words _equipment_ messily across the sides. A few of the moving men followed Draco up into the building.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get your _knickers_ in a twist.” Vee said, faking a british accent.

“Bitch!” Draco snarled.

“Cunt!” Vee yelled back before turning back to the camera. “I’ll talk to you guys later!” she flips the camera shut before stuffing it in her bag. She hopped into the back of the U-Haul, grabbed some of the boxes filled with their bathroom utilities and made her way into the building, running for the elevators before they closed.

“Waitwaitwaitwaitwait- hold the elevator!” she screeched. Thankfully, a pale, bony hand shot out, holding open the doors. Vee squeezed herself in between Draco and a mover. Space was tight. Between all five of them, the boxes, and the movers big frames, space was almost non-existent.

“Thanks, Drake.” Vee said, huffing slightly. Draco grinned at her before pressing the button for the top floor. As soon as the doors to the elevator shut, all access to any slight breeze was cut off and everyone in there could feel it starting to get stuffy. Their combined body-heat wasn’t helping anything.

“Holy hell, why’s it so hot in here?” Vee complained.

Draco shook his head. “Maybe because you’re in black skinny jeans and a long sleeved shirt?”

“Hey, the jeans have holes in the knees and the sleeves are off the shoulders!”

“Dare I even bring up the beanie?”

“It was cold in the Jeep! And you know it helps keep my hair out of my face!”

“Mhm. No one forced you to change in the backseat.”

“Yes huh, you did, you wouldn’t turn down the goddamn air conditioning!”

Draco smirked.

Vee scowled at him. “Fuck off.”

 

* * *

  

“So, now that we’re unpacked, what is it you want to do?” Draco asked Vee ten hours later. The light outside had long since went out. They lay on their brand new, white modular sofa- far bigger than the first one Vee had in Chicago- snacking on grapes and apples and watermelon, watching their new favorite show- Criminal Minds- and basically over all just relaxing. Their air conditioning broke half-way through the day, so they broke out the fans, set them up, and stripped into their underpants to cool off after hours of moving heavy objects. Modesty had stopped being a thing after year 3 when they’d both walked in on eachother with a partner in a very compromising- and very _nude-_ position.

Who knew they were _both_ so flexible?

Draco tossed his apple core across the room, aiming for the trash can beside the massage chairs. It landed right inside with a loud plop. Draco cheered.

“I’m so tired out, I just want to lay in my underwear all day.” she replied, rolling onto her back on the couch. She looked at him from across the room. “Will you play for me?”

Draco had to fight the smile that threatened to break out across his face as he took in her pleading eyes. Her hair, frizzed and lightly wet with sweat and stuck to her forehead, her cheeks and lips both flushed a bright red. She looked desperate for a distraction from the heat. “Of course.” he stood up, unable to say no to her childish face, and walked into their office. Vee ran after him after shutting off the T.V. She enjoyed listening to him play.

The day he told her everything about himself, about his heritage and his magic, she didn’t care about the parts he thought she would. She hadn’t kicked him out of her house, like so many wizards and witches had done to him and his grievous mother. She simply asked him about what he liked to do when he was younger.

“I liked to play the piano. Mother made sure I learned how before I turned twelve,” he’d said. She’d asked him if he’d ever play for her some day. She’d always loved music, she claimed it was the only thing that kept her in one piece.

“Music is the true window to ones soul,” she’d said when he asked her about it one day. “It shows how you feel, how you see and think. Anyone can sing, and anyone can play, but it takes a passionate soul to make something real, to make their audience feel the music, to see the story in the scales and in the rise in the crescendos and the fall in the diminuendos.”

“How do you know so much about music, yet know so little?” he’d asked.

She’d smiled, albeit a bit sadly. “My mother was a whore of every kind. She sold her body for money, and sold the money for drugs. My father was an abusive alcoholic, he barely paid enough money for me to go to school. When I turned fifteen he decided it was time for me to start earning around the house. He gave me a choice, either help sell his drugs, or join the family business with my mother. I chose the first. After about three months I got caught. Spent the night in jail before I was bailed out by dad,” she’d stopped, lost in the bad memory before Draco placed a hand on her knee, rubbing it softly. It was strange to see this strong, always put together woman with that look of- was it fear? Shame? Draco didn’t know, but he didn’t like it.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me,” Draco had said.

“I want to though. You told me everything about your life, now it’s my turn.” she’d said, placing her own hand on his.

“He beat me that night,” she said, head down, voice subdued. “He’d always beat me after a bad sell, so I was used to it. But that night, I couldn’t walk without limping for weeks. I couldn’t leave the house for days. When I finally got back out there, selling his drugs, he told me that I wasn’t bringing in enough. He’d brought home a man. He looked to be in his thirties. He was big, meaty. He had this hungry look in his eyes when he looked at me,” she’d choked, holding back tears. She had been clenching onto Draco’s hand tightly, but Draco didn’t mind. He didn’t want to hear the rest of the story but he couldn't find the strength to tell her to stop. She didn’t tell him to stop when he told her about the pain of the _sectumsempra_ curse, when he thought he was going to die- when he’d wished to. It was his turn to be there for her.

“I remember everything from that night. I remember how sweaty his hand were on my body. I remember how I couldn’t breathe with him on top of me. I remember his grip on my waist, on my arms, and my legs, so tight they left bruises. I remember every time that I tried to close my eyes, he’d slap me and make me open them back up. He wanted to see the light leave my eyes, he’d said. He wanted to watch as my dreams died, just as his did when he was my age. I remember how he took his time and didn’t bother being gentle in any possible way. I remember staring into the ceiling light as it happened, hoping if I stared long enough, it would take over the sight and sound and smell and memory of everything that was happening. When he left, he took my torn up clothes with him.” she’d slowly started sobbing as she’d described it. Draco had felt his own throat start to burn with the threat of tears as she’d described her own personal hell.

“I was raped that night and I never saw a dime!” she’d screamed, voice raw, eyes burning with the rage and pain and hatred of the memory of what happened to her only a few years ago. Spit had flown from her mouth, making her look like a rabid fury from one of Greek books he’d read from when he was younger. She looked devastatingly furious and if he hadn’t known her for so long, he probably would have ran for his life, but he could also see the pain underneath all the rage, all the sorrow. He wanted to find the men who did this to her and take them to the Dark Lord himself, but he couldn't. He could only be there for his new friend and help her just as she helped him.  

Draco had scooped her up and held her tightly against her chest as she let it all out. It wasn’t the night she let it go but it was the night all that feeling finally combusted, finally surfaced. It was the first night she actually acknowledged the fact that what happened to her wasn’t a bad dream, but a nightmare come to life.

She woke up screaming that night, and it would be the first of many sleepless night for the both of them, but Draco didn’t mind. As long as it was helping her, he was happy to spend the rest of his life holding her as she slept, to help console her.

When she had finally calmed down, she’d laid her forehead in the crook of his neck. Her breath had tickled his collarbones, but he still said nothing.

“I ran away from home the next day. Spent a year on the streets, in corners of the North Side, begging for money before I got it together. I found a job, saved up, bought this house. Helped others, helped the more fortunate for free so they’d owe me favors. I cashed them in to fix up this house. I helped this girl one time, she was a few months younger than me, her name was Leah. I caught her one night at work trying to slit her wrists in the back alley. I called the cops, they came, and I rode in the ambulance with her. After I got the news that she’d survive, I stayed with her, talked to her about normal stuff, her name, her favorite things. We connected. Her dad showed up a few hours later. He was big and scary-looking; he reminded me so much of the man who raped me. I felt trapped immidietly and stayed as far away from him as I could. When he hugged me, I almost took a chunk out of his neck but then I felt him shaking. He was crying on me and just needed a hug. He couldn’t stop thanking me. He was a mess. So I stood there, and let him hug me. I told him what happened before I went home.

“She showed up at work the next week. We talked and long story short, I became her personal therapist for the next few months. I met her dad again about two months after the accident. He was a biker; the leader of his gang, actually, and offered to pay me. I declined. A few months later when Leah had gotten over her suicidal thoughts, she became my best friend instead of my patient. Her dad bought her meds when he finally had enough money to pay for an actual therapist. He wanted to pay me too but I didn’t want his money. He was struggling as it was. He asked me if there was anything else he could do. I said yes.”

“Only a day later did I find out my parents were dead, slaughtered, butchered. And the man who raped me had had his genitals cut off, along with his hands and he’d been made blind with no chance of ever seeing again. Billy gave me about ten thousand dollars the day after I found out. I tried to give it back but he said it was from-and I quote- ‘The drunkie’s and whores who had a little run in with karma.’ Said he and his gang was skipping town with a chance that they were never coming back. ‘Told me to take the money and get out of this punk-ass city and that if I was ever in Louisiana to look him up.”

Vee had sighed into his neck. “He left the next week, taking my first real friend with him. I put the money into a savings account, vowing that I’d save it for emergencies,” she’d shook her head. “I thought that I’d feel something after that, about my parents, maybe a little justice or vengeance but I didn’t. I still felt hollow inside. So I tried to forget what happened. I buried it so far down deep that sometimes, I could write it off as only a bad dream.”

“You can’t keep these things bottled up inside for so long.” Draco had quoted. He’d felt the corners of her lips perk up as he threw her own words back at her but she didn’t say anything. Neither of them did for a long while as they just sat there, holding onto one another and simply savoring the others warmth and safety and comfort.

“When I got fired from the ice-cream shop, I found the White Swallow. It seemed perfect. Great tips, nice music, and my favorite, they couldn’t touch unless you allowed it. I’d always loved music. In school, I would skip and sit outside the band room and just listen. It wasn’t fantastic, but they were good and it allowed me a break from reality for a while. The White Swallow was nothing short of that, except I was dancing in front of people half-naked. But when the music is playing, I can pretend I’m in my room, dancing for myself.”

So the next day, Draco took her to a hotel he knew had a piano, and he played. He played for hours and even got some tips from the people who passed by but he hadn’t cared about that. He had only cared about the way Vee’s eyes had lit up and the way she bit her lip in anticipation, waiting for the swell of the music. During every crescendo she would smile and it would light up the entire room. He lived for those moments. He was happy he was the person bringing so much light into this girls life after so much darkness had threatened to drown her.

So now, when Draco sat down at the piano and lifted the cover, he was happy he bought it. His veins swelled with excited anticipation at the faces and enjoyment he knew he’d see on Vee’s face. He warmed up with a few scales before Vee ran in with her phone and plopped down on the chaise lounge in front of the piano. When Draco started to play her favorite song, she got out her phone and snapchatted him for a while before simply closing her eyes and enjoying the music. He played for her for about an hour until he heard her start to snore. Draco quietly put the cover back over the grand piano before standing and walking over to Vee.

She was asleep, her eyelashes shuddering with the slights movement of her eyes under her eyelids. Draco pulled out his own phone before snapping a few quick photos. He posted them on his own story. When he was satisfied, he put his phone away and ran his hand through her hair.

“Vee, get up, you fell asleep.” he whispered.

She mumbled incoherently, making a dopey grin take over Draco’s face. He leaned down and carefully scooped up his sleeping roomate and carried her to her room. When he attempted to put her down, she groaned.

“Drake?”

“Yes, Vee?”

“Can I sleep with you tonight?”

Draco’s dopey smile became even dopey-er. “Of course you can. Although I thought you grew out of this a year ago?” he teased softly.

“Shut the fuck up and carry me to your room, Frosty.”

“Yes ma’am,”

After setting her down in his bed, she quickly scoots over, allowing him enough room to get in before attaching herself to him like a squid. He kissed her forehead.

“Goodnight, Vee,”

“G’night, Draco.”

 

* * *

 

_Meanwhile, in London, England; Grimmauld Place._

“Harry, I don’t think this is a very good idea,” Hermione voiced, watching as her best friend stuffed his bag full of clothes.

“Of course it isn't! Mate, you can’t go against a straight order!” Ron shouted.

“I don't know what you’re talking about, Ron. I’m simply taking advantage of my vacation. I hear Long Beach is good this time of year. Nice and sunny,” Harry replied calmly.

“While I approve of the vacation- you seriously need it- maybe you shouldn’t go to Long Beach. Maybe you could go to Malibu if you’re so bent on going to California. Maybe you could even visit Los Angeles! No, never mind, you’d probably gamble your name away.” Hermione stated.

Harry paused his packing long enough to look over his shoulder at Hermione. “Thanks for that, ‘Mione.”

She shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, Harry, but you couldn’t gamble your way out of a paper bag.”

“What does Harry and a paper bag have to do with going to California and finding Draco Malfoy?” Ron shrieked.

“What? That’s who you’re going after?” Hermione asked, shocked.

Ron shrunk down at the withering glare Harry shot him. “Thank you, Ron.”

“Harry, why are you going to Long Beach California to find Draco Malfoy?” Hermione asked sternly, hands on her hips. “And why wasn't I told about this sooner?” she directed her glare at Ron, who smiled bashfully at his wife.

“I’m going because the idiots in the Aurors Department won’t let me be part of the case anymore. I have been the one searching all these years all over the Wizarding World for him, and right when it happens, they kick me off the case. Thats bullshite!”

“Harry!” Hermione scolded.

“It’s true!” Harry fumed. “I have never been so angry about anything since the war ended- Just where do they get off?”

“Now, Harry, you’re being completely unreasonable, and you’d better watch your tone with me, or I will march down into the Aurors Department with you by the ear and make them lock you up until Draco Malfoy is brought back!” she snapped viciously.

Harry reigned in his attitude quite a bit after that threat. “Look, I’m sorry ‘Mione. I didn’t mean to get so snappy. I just- I don’t know why, but whenever I think about not being able to help them- I just get so-,”

“Jealous?” Ron said.

“Pig-headed?” Hermione offered.

Harry looked taken aback. “Jealous? Why would I be jealous?”

Ron and Hermione shared uncertain looks.

“Are you serious, mate? I mean, it’s obvious you’ve been almost in love with the bloody ponce since his trial. You went crackers when he disappeared after his mother died.” Ron said.

Harry’s eyes widened with surprise before narrowing in defence. “I have _not_ been in _love_ with him, I simply felt bad for him. There's a difference.”

“Harry, I think you’ve always been a bit… involved, when it came to Malfoy. I mean, you stalked him all throughout sixth year.” Hermione said carefully.

Harry made an indignant noise. “That’s because I thought he was up to something! Which he _was_ , by the way. That doesn’t mean I was involved with him romantically.”

“Right. But, Harry, don’t you think if Draco wanted to be found, he would have shown himself by now?” Hermione asked, biting her lip. She averted her eyes but Ron was too busy watching Harry and Harry was looking down at his bag, both too distracted to notice.

“Well, I mean-,” Harry started but stopped, having not thought of that. He sat down on his bed, next to his messily stuffed bag. “Why wouldn't he?”

“Why _would_ he? You forget not everyone was as supportive as you were after the war, Harry. He was a Death Eater. He had the mark. He was ridiculed and shunned. He got so much hate, Harry. If that where you, would you ever want to come back? Especially if you had no reason to?” Hermione tried to reason.

Harry sat quietly, in thought. Then, finally, he said, “I guess not.”

“Exactly. So why don’t you forget this entire think and just leave the man be? Hasn’t he paid enough? He shouldn’t have to be hunted and brought back like some criminal. He’s paid his debt and is now trying move on. Why can’t any of you understand that?” Hermione stressed, her eyes wide and pleading.

“Whoa, ‘Mione, fine, I won’t go looking for him. What was that?” Harry asked, utterly surprised at the passion in her voice.

Ron also looked surprised. “Yeah, you okay, ‘Mione? You got a little crazy there.”

Hermione looked surprised with herself before collecting herself, sliding on a calm look. “I’m sorry, I just don’t think it’s right to be trying to bring him back into the Wizarding World. It looks like he finally lost his prejudice against muggles. Maybe living in the Muggle World has been good for him. Maybe he’s just not ready to come back yet. I just don’t understand why people can’t leave him alone.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello once again! This chapter was... A lot. I didn't write it to offend anybody, I didn't write this to trigger anyone either. So please don't take it like that. I just wanted to say that if you've stayed this far into the story, then thank you. There is a little bit of OOC but I will be working on that as hard as I can. If any of you guys thgink you could help me with that, feel free to tell me and we'll get on that. But just, thank you for staying this far and I hope you continue to like this story. Comments are very much encouraged!  
> Au revoir!  
> Until next time!


	5. Wipeout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Harry Potter, J.K.Rowling and the Warner Bros do, if I did though... We definitely wouldn't be here. 
> 
> Okay guys, it's the moment you've all been waiting for!
> 
> Enjoy!

_October 26th, 2018- 2 Weeks Later_

* * *

 

“So, what would you like to do today?” Draco asked Vee as he took a lick of his strawberry Fro-Yo. It was currently 4PM and they’d just left the Fro-Yo store after working down at the studio getting down the basics for their new albums. Draco’s got his arm wrapped lazily around Vee’s neck and her arm was snaked around his waist.

“I was thinking maybe we could go down to the beach before hanging out at the F-Note. Maybe some surfing for me and some nice tanning for you.” she teased.

Draco smirked. “Yes, because me and ‘tanning’ should even be put in the same sentence.”

“You never know. Maybe one day it’ll happen instead of you just turning into a lobster.”

Draco bumped her hip with his. She bumped him back.

“Okay then, that sounds fine. Lets head back up to the penthouse and grab everything we’ll need before heading to the beach. Unless you want to go back to the nudist beach.” Draco suggested.

Vee giggled. “After last time, I think we should hold off on that for a while.”

“Hmm, remind me what happened again?” Draco asked before exclaiming, “Oh, yes, I remember now! You were caught being bent over like a total slag in heat over the counter of an old hot dog stand near the palm trees. I can’t imagine why they’d kick us out over that!”

Vee started giggling uncontrollably.

“And maybe it didn’t help a single thing that I was also caught with one leg in the air as I was being plowed mercilessly by the head lifeguard. About a block away from your hot dog randevu, actually.” he continued thoughtfully.

Vee started to cackle loudly, drawing the attention of many passerbyers. “Shut up!”

“What? I rather like the fact that we were caught. I may not have been at the time, but at least I know that we’re living our lives how we want. We have no one here to tell us what to do, what to say. We can just be ourselves.” Draco admitted.

Vee smiled softly. “Yeah, I agree. I’m happy that we’re happy. But, just because we aren’t going to a nude beach, doesn’t mean we still can’t be caught being bent over in some poorly secluded area.”

Draco threw his head back and laughed loudly. “We are _such_ whores!”

“Ain’t no shame in that. Unless you still _want_ to pride yourself on being the _perfect_ Englishman, then you may have a little shame.” Vee sassed.

Draco smiled. “No. I gave that up permanently the day-,”

“The day you started blubbering like a baby about your fellow asshole dark wizards and about the douche-stick with no nose that could probably relate more to a power outlet than an actual human being?”

“Okay, first of all, you cow, I did not “blubber”, I was releasing stress after a long hard year after the war-,”

“By blubbering like a child.” she batted her eyelashes at him, a mock innocent look on her face.

Draco snarled. “ _No!_ Not by blubbering like a child! Merlin, you can be such a bitch!”

Vee fluffed her hair with a beaming smile. “I know. It’s what I do best. Someone has to keep you on your toes. If I didn’t you’d be out watching _Murder She Wrote_ with your white hair and saggy balls.”

Draco made an indignant noise. “I’m only a year older than you! And my hair isn’t _white_! It’s platinum blonde!”

She tutted. “For someone who claims to be so smart you really are wrong a lot. A year, four months, and two days to be exact. And call it whatever you like, platinum blonde, silver, white- it’s all the same to me.”

Draco shook his head. “First off, no it most definitely is not the same, and second- You can remember that but you can’t remember our collab dates?”

“Fuck off, some of those collabs were stupid and you know I had almost no interest in them.”

“You did with all our music collabs.” he pointed out.

“That's different. I love music. Making slime on the other hand is a little ridiculous.” she rolled her eyes.

“You said another spell.” Draco said.

“Did I? What was it?” she asked, eyes lighting up.

“ _Riddikulus_. It’s purpose is to battle a Boggart by turning it into something amusing.”

“What the hell is a Boggart?” she wrinkled her nose.

“A Boggart is a shape-shifting creature that will assume the form of whatever most frightens the person who encounters it. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like if nobody is there to see it, although it continues to exist, usually giving evidence of its presence by rattling, shaking or scratching the object in which it is hiding. Boggarts particularly like confined spaces, but may also be found lurking in woods and around shadowy corners. The more generally fearful a person is, the more susceptible they will be to Boggarts. Muggles, such as you, too, feel their presence and may even glimpse them, although you’d seem less capable of seeing them plainly and are usually easily convinced that the Boggart was a figment of your imagination. A Boggart is not and never has been truly alive. It is one of the strange non-beings that populate the magical world, for which there is no equivalent in the Muggle realm.” Draco announced.

“Holy hell, you’re like a walking encyclopedia for magical creatures.” Vee said, awed.

“Real magical creatures. And I suppose a few fictional.” Draco boasted.

“Okay now, reel it back in before that huge head of yours explodes. I don’t feel like mopping up your brains. Too much of them to clean up in one day.” she said.

Draco grinned. “Thank you for that compliment.”

“It was backhanded-”

“But still a compliment nonetheless.”

“Doesn’t count.”

“It does.”

“Does not.”

“Does too,”

“Does _not_ -,”

“Jesus, what are you two, children?”

Both Vee and Draco postponed their argument to the sound of one of their band members voices.

It's their 26 year old lead guitarist, Leo. He’s classically tanned with bright blue eyes and brown hair. His features are soft and round, nearly the opposite of Draco’s, and they’re always softened into a smile, either kind or teasing. You could easily tell he worked out a lot with his toned arm muscles and chiseled abs. He’s hardly ever seen without his best friend, Colin, and today’s no different. Colin is standing right beside Leo, face expressionless. The only sign that he isn’t a robot is the fact that his eyes twinkled with amusement every time he catches Draco and Vee in an argument.

Colin is a 28 year old that auditioned along with Leo, but instead of playing guitar, he plays the base. He’s a dark skinned man with big, beefy muscles all over his body. He’s tall, easily 7 foot, with black curly hair in a hawk faux fade haircut with frosted metallic silver tips. His eyes are a light caramel brown and about as sharp as his jawline. He enjoys running and weight lifting along with playing his base and reading.

He also enjoys Vee’s attitude and snarkiness. Her curves aren’t bad to look at either.

Vee snarled. “Fuck off. What are you doing here anyway?”

Leo held his hands up. “We were just stopping by to say hi.”

“Meaning you wanted to come by and annoy us,” Draco concluded.

Leo shrugged with a shark like grin. “Semantics.”

“I had no interest in partaking in his torture.” Colin said, his voice as emotionless as his face. His voice sounds like a deep velvety robots. “I would much rather be reading right now.”

“Well, we were just about to go swimming at the beach, but if you don’t want to come-,” Draco started.

“I’ll come.” Colin interrupted, stealing a glance at Vee. She blushed.

Leo snorted quietly. “You’ll come all over something all right.”

Draco snickered. Colin glared at his friend.

Vee just shrugged, trying to hide her own smile, and her slight blush appeared to be rapidly growing. “Well, come on then, we’re just heading back to the house to grab our stuff. Care to join?”

“Of course not,” Leo said before faking a horribly done english accent. “ _Milady?_ ” he held out his arm. Vee scoffed and walked past him. He grinned before running up behind her, scooping her up in his arm and running off with her. Her screams of terror and outrage drowned out the sound of Draco’s cackling until they disappear behind the corner.

Colin simply glared menacingly at the two before walking beside Draco, both of them setting a leisurely pace unlike Leo’s frantic run.

“I enjoy it when he does that,” Draco drawled.

“ _I,_ do _not_.” Colin said, a bit of venom barely hidden underneath his emotionless facade.

“Of course you don’t. You know if you would simply ask her out, he’d stop flirting with her.” Draco said.

“That is highly unlikely.” he’d long stopped trying to deny his crush on the curvy dark beauty.

“He’s only trying to antagonize you.”

“It’s not working.”

“It really is,” Draco said. “Come on, what do you have to fear?”

“Her rejection and the cost of our friendship.” Colin said.

“Like she’d ever reject you. I don’t think she’s ever rejected anybody, actually.” he said thoughtfully.

Colin growled.

“I’m _joking_ ! Honestly, you can’t beat up everyone that touches her. But you _could_ prevent that by simply asking her out and taking her on the most splendid date she’s ever been on.” Draco prodded.

“You’re accent makes you sound like a dick.”

“Hush up, my accent makes me sound irresistible, _stop_ changing the subject.”

“I do not want to rush her.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “You’ve known us for five years. How in the name of- I mean, how on _earth_ is that rushing?”

Colin doesn’t reply.

“ _Exactly_. But I won’t push you. I’m just saying, the longer you wait, the less time you have. Someone else may scoop her up right before your eyes and you won’t be able to say a thing about it because you had your chance.”

Colin remained silent. Draco sighed just as they reached their penthouse.

“You’d be good for her. You’d be good _to_ her, and that’s the most important thing. She deserves someone like you.”

* * *

 

“Leo, you pig, stop splashing me!” Vee screamed for the hundredth time in the past hour.

“Then go under! What’s the point of _swimming_ if you won’t swim?”

“I _am_ swimming! I went under when we got here! The waters cold, you dick!”

“Excuses, excuses.”

Vee growled before stomping out of the water. “Fuck _you_! I’m going surfing.”

Leo faked a yawn as he leaned back against a pool floaty. He splashed the water a little. “Lame.”

“Well, it keeps me away from you, doesn’t it?” Vee said before walking away.

“Damn, that ass.” Leo hollared after her. She threw him a vulgar gesture as she kept walking.

“You have issues, Leo. Isn’t that similar to cradle robbery?” Draco asked.

“No, cradle robbery would be if Colin was going after her.” Leo said, perfectly relaxed as another large wave moved them along.

“No, cradle robbery is when someone older than you harasses you for a date or for sex when you don’t want that attention.” Colin intercepted before frowning. "And I'm only 28."

“So it _is_ like cradle robbery.” Draco said, smirking at the frown on Colin's face.

“Whatever, man. She’s 23 now, it doesn’t count if your past your teens.” Leo waved him off. Another large wave crashed onto the beach.

“Yes it does, and she's only a few years out. She’ll always be my little baby.” Draco teased.

“Does she call you daddy?”

Colin rolled his eyes, his pure white teeth bared.

Leo held his hands up for the millionth time that day. “Sorry, sorry.”

“There she is.” Colin said, his attention no longer on his ass of a best friend, but on the girl of his dreams as she rode the waves like she owned them.

Draco turned around, immediately breaking out in a large smile as his roommate rode one of the largest waves of the day.

Even Leo turned around. He whooped. “Yes! Ride that wave like you own it, girl, YASSSSSSSS!”

Draco shook his head in amusement at Leo’s horribly stereotypical gay voice. “You are such a dick.”

“Then I guess it’s a good think that's one of the few things you like then, huh?” he said, distracted as he watched Vee surf. “You think this one’s going to tube?”

“Yes.” Colin said, his worry palpable, and with good reason. She’s never been able to tube without being swallowed, but she won’t give up. She’s determined to make it at the end of that tube.

“Fuck.” Leo said.

“Shite,” Draco countered.

Sure enough, the waves started to break and the making of a tube started to form. Colin ran out of the water in search of jet ski to grab hold of for whenever she wipes out.

“I really wish she’d give up on that.” Leo said quietly.

Draco didn’t bother with a reply, too torn between cheering for her and screaming. He picked the former.

“You got this, Vee! WHOOOOOOOO!” Draco cheered.

Leo watched Draco cheer for a while before joining in, just as she disappeared into the tube.

“Come on, Vee, you can do it!” Leo hollered. Colin could be seen speeding towards the giant barrel of water, ready to rescue Vee and bring her to land if needed.

Leo and Draco watched in silent support for their friend. Even the other swimmers at the beach have stopped to watch. The tension thick in the air as the tube shortened second by precious little second.

Draco was barely breathing by the time the tube had shrunk down to half its size. His breath finally leaves him in a giant gust of air whenever she appeared a second before the tube almost ends. Draco and Leo cheer frantically along with the rest of the beach. Even Colin could be seen waving his fists in the air in celebration.

Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough in getting out of the way in time. The wave crashed down onto the back of her legs and board, strong enough to send her flying into the water. Her head popped up from the water a few seconds later before a wave crashed down on her. Draco nearly screamed when wave after wave started forming rapidly, crashing down harshly right in her area. Colin revved up his jet ski before taking off in that area. Part of her broken board appeared, popping up into the foamy water and bobbing like an apple. Colin skied around it.

“Holy shit.” Leo breathed as he watched one of his friends get stuck in the rip current.

“Shite, shite, shite,” Draco mumbled.

“She’s going to be fine,” Leo tried. “Colin will get her in time.”

“I know.” Draco said.

Thankfully, just a second later, Colin dragged Vee up onto the jet ski before they head back to the beach.

Draco lets out a breath he didn't know he’d been holding. “Oh, thank Merlin.” he praised before looking over at Leo in alarm. Thankfully, he was to busy cheering to hear Draco’s slip up.

Vee jumped off the ski before Colin even stopped it and swam towards the boys. Colin watched her before parking the Ski.

When Vee reached them, she was tackled by the two.

“You did great out there, Vee! You’re getting so much faster!” Draco cheered.

“I thought I was going to lose my favorite black friend!” Leo fake sobbed.

“I can’t believe you did it! I’m so proud of you!” Draco rambled.

“I can’t believe you almost left me with this pale ass Brit and a Cyborg!” Leo wailed. Draco scowled and shoved him into the water before standing back and holding Vee’s head in his large hands. Her eyes were stormy with frustration and her lips were thinned with frustration and slightly blue. Leo broke the surface, a large scowl on his face.

“Okay, that’s it. We’re going home, getting dressed, and you’re going to be coddled until you warm up.” Draco declared. Leo’s eyes light up.

“Yes! I’ll make cookies and we’ll watch movies all day!” he exclaimed. Colin appeared right next to him, face unreadable.

Vee scoffed. “Um nut uh baba,” she tried with her cheeks being squeezed.

“It had been decided!” Draco announced before scooping her up and carrying her out of the water.

“You mother hen, I can walk on my own,” Vee said as she writhed in Draco’s arms. He just tightened his hold.

“No, you’re in shock. Either let me hold you or we’ll have to take you to the hospital.” Draco threatened.

“On second thought, being carried sounds fantastic.”

“Then onward we go!” Leo declared.

* * *

 

“This is stupid. I don’t need to be babied.” Vee pouted.

Currently, she was wrapped up in about five blankets with three pillows. A bowl of tomato soup and ritz crackers sat on the coffee table along with some hot cocoa, chamomile tea with a side of honey and sugar and a bottle of water.

“You need to rest. You took a big hit out there.” Draco chastised.

“I made cookies!” Leo howled before coming into the living room wearing Vee’s favorite oven mitts shaped like bear paws and an apron with the words _Kiss The Cook_ written in purple.

“What kind?” Vee asked, interest piqued.

“Sugar cookies!” he cheered.

“I like sugar cookies.” Colin said quietly.

“Then come get ‘em, big boy! They’re fresh!” Leo said as he set the tray in the table. Everyone grabbed a handful but when Vee tried to grab some, Draco smacked her hands. Colin and Leo both almost dropped their cookies at that. Then Draco smacks their hands and the cookes spill back onto the tray.

“What the fuck, you piece of shit asshole made of dicks?” Vee raged.

“You haven’t eaten normal food yet.” Draco scolded.

“Drake, I’m eating those cookies, or you’re going to die keeping me from them, and then I’ll still eat them.” she reached for them again but Draco smacked her hands again. Vee fumed.

“Um, Drake, you sure you know what you’re doing?” Leo asked, slightly worried for the safety of one of his best friends.

“Of course I do.”

“I really don’t think you do.” Colin stated.

“I can assure you that I do. Vee, eat your soup first.” Draco demanded.

Vee glared menacingly at him, obviously wondering if it's worth it to tackle him to the ground. His small, frail body wouldn’t be able to fight back, but his wand would.

On the other hand, he kept his wand in a box in his room.

But the medical bill-

But they have enough money-

But is it worth it over her favorite cookies?

Yes. It is absolutely fucking worth it, she decided before throwing herself at the pale Brit.

Draco moved to take cover, closed his eyes and waited for impact. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes to see Colin holding Vee by the waist as she writhed in his grasp.

“Oh, if I still had my glock you’d be _dead_.” she snarled.

“Goddamn girl, what the hell is up your ass?” Leo asked, utterly surprised at the turn of events.

Vee slumped in Colins arms, becoming deadweight. He continued to hold her. She sniffled.

“I don’t know. I just- I really thought I had that wave this time.” she said, her voice tinged with shame.

Colin sat down, keeping her in his arms. He stroked her hair gently as she let go of the frustration.

“I just really want to be able to do this! I’m not going to give up! I just- really thought I did it today!” she said.

Draco grabbed a hold of one of her hands and stroked it with his thumb. “You’ll get it soon if you just keep at it. I know you’re frustrated, but you can’t rush things. They take time and you just have to keep going. Keep practicing and I have no doubt that you’ll master it in no time.”

Vee looked up at him with watery eyes. “You really think so?”

“Of course I do. I believe in you, Vee, I always have. I always will.” he said with a gentle smile.

“Yeah, Vee, I know I probably don’t say it enough, but I love you and I fully believe you can do anything you put your mind to.” Leo encouraged.

“You are an amazing woman, Vee. I will always support you in anything you do. I also love you and wish only for your happiness,” Colin said. “You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met and that makes me confident that you will own that barrel one of these days. It may not be as soon as you want it to be, but whenever that day comes will be the day we’ll all be there to celebrate your victory.”

Vee beamed as she leaned back into Colin, her head under his head. He closes his eyes, savoring the moment. “Thank you, guys. I’m sorry for being such a bitch today.”

“Shark week?” Leo asked, sympathetic. Vee glared at him.

“Yes. Shark week, you nosy bastard.” she said before standing up and walking into her room.

“That explains it.” Leo sighed before yelping as Draco and Colin start smacking him all over.

“What was that for?” he exclaimed.

“For ruining the moment, you wanker.” Draco said.

Leo smiled sheepishly before reaching for a cookie. Draco smacked his hands. Leo scowled. “I made these.”

“Eat real food first, then you get one.”

* * *

 

“What would you like to do first?” Draco asked Vee, his special apology for making her snap earlier that day.

After Vee had come back to the living room, they’d spent a few hours watching iZombie. Leo had scarfed down the food that Vee hadn’t eaten and was finished before the first episode even ended. Colin had sat on the loveseat and to his immense surprise, Vee had sat next to him, so close in fact, that she was practically sitting on him. His cheeks had surprisingly held a bit of a red tint at the end of the first episode. She’d grabbed a blanket and cuddled up to him through the next few episodes but when Draco declared it was time to hit the F-Note, Colin had excused himself to the bathroom, his face aflame and his breathing unsteady.

“What did you do?” Draco had chastised.

“I did nothing. Promise.” she’d said before licking her fingers off, sucking on the tip of her thumb. Leo had grimaced.

“Yo, next time you jack him, don’t do that- don’t lick his jizz like that. And don’t do it in the same room as us!” he’d exclaimed.

Vee’d grinned around her thumb. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” then she had moaned so sexually Draco had choked and Leo had looked torn between being turned on and disgusted.

Then Colin had come out, caught sight of Vee’s wicked grin as she sucked the tip of her thumb into her mouth once more, then turned back around and walked right into the bathroom again.

“Well, we should probably eat first.” she said before leading them to their booth in the corner.  
The F-Note was a karaoke bar, a nice place for all kinds of music. They played pop, rap, rock, heavy metal, and even disney. The group had quickly become regulars and won over both the crowd and the owner of the bar with their dancing and music.

The bar was large and spacey, found easily on one of the strips. There were two parts of it. There was the area for people who are okay with participating with the singers or dancers and the are for the people who aren’t, who are just there to enjoy their dinner and a show. The floors are a dark cherry wood unlike the bars which are made of black marble. The room is shaped into a giant diamond, the stage in the longest corner and the booths lined up along the rest of the wall. Regular tables are sat in the middle of the room.

* * *

  


“Okay then, let's eat. I’m hungry as hell.” Leo said, rubbing his hands together. He slid into one side of the booth.

“You literally just ate a few hours ago,” Vee said as she slid in on the other side, pulling Colin in next to her. Draco grinned, knowing full well what she was planning on doing to him.

“Yeah, a few _hours_ ago. I’m starving now.” he said, picking up the menu.

Vee chuckled. “I’m going to have to steal your metabolism someday, I swear it works double what's expected of it. Mine ain’t nearly as helpful.”

“I think you look beautiful.” Colin said quietly.

Vee smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

Colin nodded before picking up his menu just as their waitress shows up. Her face was caked in makeup and her shirt was extremely tight on her, showing off her small breasts She smiled at them all before asking for their drink orders.

“I want a Pepsi.” Leo said, nearly bouncing out of his seat to Nicki Minaj’s _Beez in the trap._

“I’ll take a water with lemon.” Draco said. The waitresses eyes light up.

“You’re british huh? Love your accent, baby.” she said flirtatiously.

Draco nodded politely, picking his menu up. “Thank you. I’m gay.”

The waitress eyes widen. “Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t know-,”

“It’s fine, happens to him all the time.” Vee snorted. “I’ll get a Root Beer.”

“Okay, no problem,” she said before turning to Colin. “What about you handsome, what’ll you have?”

Draco and Leo instantly bowed their heads to hide their smirks as Vee immediately tensed up.

“Hey, he’s taken, and he wants a Mountain Dew.” Vee said, her voice tight.

“I’m sure he can order for himself, ma’am.”

Vee smiled viciously as she said sweetly, “Oh, I have no doubt about that, but I wasn’t finished. I would also like a vanilla milkshake with a ‘go fuck yourself’ on top and a side of ‘I want a new waitress before I have your job’.”

The waitress stood there in shock, her mouth wide open. Vee glared. “Now get going before I have to pull out my gun.”

The waitress immediately ran off, mumbling apologies. No one said a word as Vee grabbed her menu, acting as if she hadn’t just threatened to pull her gun on someone.

Finally, Leo busted out laughing, just their drinks arrived, served by a new waiter who looked to be in his forties. “Vee, what the hell was that?”

Vee shook her head as she took a sip of her root beer. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? You call that nothing?” Draco smirked.

Vee glared over the rim of her menu at him before hissing. “Can we drop it?”

“No,” Colin said, turning to face her. Vee’s face flamed under his intense, unreadable stare. “I would also like to know what that was about.”

Vee breathed in deeply before speaking carefully. “I don’t know,”

“You don’t know.” Colin repeated.

“That's what I said.”

“Did he finally-,” Leo started but Colins glare silenced him.

“Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Colin asked quietly.

“Is there something you’re not telling _me_?” Vee countered. Colin inhaled.

“Why did you tell her I was taken?” he asked instead.

“Why _didn’t_ you tell her you were taken?” Vee shot back.

“Because I assumed I wasn’t.”

“You think I give random guys handjobs?”

Colin’s jaw clenched. “I certainly hope not.”

“Then what’s the big deal?” she asked. She looked as if she wanted the booth to swallow her up as she bowed her head, her hair covering up most of her face. She bit her lip.

As their conversation continued, Leo and Draco watched intensely, waiting for one of them to blurt out their feelings.

“The big deal is that I would like to know whats happening.”

Vee breathed out angrily, head still bowed. “Believe me, so would I,” she finally looked up, face filled with emotion. “You think I haven’t noticed you watching me the past year or so? How long did you expect me to wait before you made a move? I decided to make the move for you. What are you going to do with that?”

Colin stayed silent before speaking slowly. “I am going to ask you out on a proper date and start all over with this. I apologize for taking so long.”

“Fantastic!” Vee exclaimed before she snapped her menu closed and turned to face him fully in the booth. She looked at him expectantly.

Colin blinked. “You mean now?”

“Now’s as good a time as any.”

“Okay,” Colin said before setting his own menu down. He took Vee’s hands in his and brought one up to kiss.

“Vee, I’ll admit that I’ve had strong feelings for you for the past year. I know I waited too long to ask you out and that was a mistake. But it’s happening now, and that is all that matters. Would you please honor me with a date next friday night?” he asked.

Vee’s face split into a wide smile. “Yes, I would love to go on a date with you.” she said before she leaned in and kissed him fully on the mouth. Colin’s eyes fluttered shut. The pair didn’t even hear it when Draco and Leo start cheering loudly, shouting out congratulations. Soon everyone in the bar started clapping for the new couple.

When they pulled away, their cheeks were a bright, fiery red and Colin was smiling softly. Vee beamed, happy to know she was one of the few things to ever make him smile like that.

* * *

 

“Are you ready, Vee?” Draco asked, swirling the keys to the penthouse on his finger.

She looked back at him, glaring menacingly at him for pulling her attention from Colin and their snogging.

“Give me a minute, you impatient skeleton.”

Draco frowned, looking to Leo. “I don’t look like a skeleton, do I?”

Leo slurped his pepsi loudly. “Does a leprechaun wear green and give away gold for free?”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Draco demanded.

“Yes and no,” Leo said simply before he went back to slurping on his soda.

After they’d finished eating, they’d all sung quite a bit on the stage. Vee had sung _Set_ _Fire To The Rain_ by Adele, Draco had played a cover of _One shot_ by Robin Thicke while Vee had danced on the bar like the drunken woman she’d become after a few celebratory shots. Leo had sung _Get Ugly_ by Jason Derulo and gotten quite the reaction from all the ladies in the bar. He’d walked out with more than a few numbers.

Colin refused to sing anything until Vee convinced him to by singing with him. They’d sung _Do For You_ , a song from Steven Universe. Vee had danced during the guitar solo Leo had been happy to play for her. Colin had disappeared into the bathroom right after the song was over and reappeared about twenty minutes later.

Vee finally walked over to Draco, only stumbling slightly. Colin eyed her worriedly.

“You’re sure you don’t need me to walk with you two?” he asked, watching as his new girlfriend giggled uncontrollably.

Draco grabbed a hold of Vee’s hand, pulling an arm over his shoulder before he wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her up and steady. “I’m sure. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to drag her sorry ass home. She’s a terrible lightweight.” he grinned.

“But-,”

“I promise. I doubt she’d want you watching as she retches up her guts later on, most likely in about ten minutes. The walk isn’t long. I got her. We’ll see you later.”

Leo threw an arm around Colin’s shoulders, guiding him the opposite way, starting up a conversation about the strange shape of potatoes just as Draco lead Vee down the alley and into the street leading to their home.

“He kissed me tonight.” Vee giggled.

“Technically, you kissed him.” Draco pointed out.

“He’s a good kisser,” Vee said dreamily.

Draco chuckled. “Is he, now?”

Vee scowled sideways at him. “I’m not going to tell you about it, you’ll try to take him once you hear how good he is with his tongue,” she slurred.

Draco laughed out loud at that thought. “No, I wouldn’t ever do that to you.”

She narrowed her eyes at him before stopping. “Do you hear that?”

“My other senses are being blocked by your breath. You smell like an alcohol industry took over.”

She remained silent before walking again. “I thought I heard something.”

“Clearly.”

She unwrapped herself from her friend.

“You okay, Vee?” Draco asked, smile starting to drop as he started to worry about his freaked out friend.

She smiled at him. “I’m fine, I just think there's something stuck on my shoe.”

Draco’s smile froze on his face at the codeword from _Supernatural_. He made it look like he had a cough so he could take a quick look around the street. Nothing.

Vee leaned over, pretending to check her shoes. “You can go ahead, I’ll catch up. You know these are some of the safest streets in town.”

Draco nodded, walking ahead carefully, allowing Vee to test if someone really was following him. He walked leisurely, listening carefully for the sound of footsteps. After awhile of walking, Draco heard the footsteps. They were faint almost; Clumsy.

He kept walking, heart rate speeding up slightly before the footsteps stopped and the click of the safety being turned off on Vee’s gun sounded through the night. Draco turned around swiftly, finding his roomate holding a gun up to a dark figure.

Her glare was fierce- protective, as she held her gun up to the figures head.

“Who the hell are you, and why are you following my friend?” she snarled viciously.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! I am back again with another chapter and I can honestly say that this one was really fun to write. There was a part in the middle that I didn't really know what to do with but I think I pulled it off. 
> 
> I just wanted to thank all of you guys for all your support, not just for this book but my new one-shot book series that I'm starting. You guys are so supportive that I can't even begin to tell you how happy and how proud you guys make me feel. I especially wanted to thank Yosuke for giving me that wonderful advice, it gave me literally thousands of ideas not only for this story but for my one-shots. You guys are great and fantastic and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> See you all in two weeks!
> 
> Songs: One-shot buy Robin Thicke, Do For You from Steven Universe, and Get Ugly by Jason Durulo.


	6. Harry Potter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Strippers, threats, and yelling, drugs.
> 
> Enjoy!

_Previously…_

* * *

 

_He kept walking, heart rate speeding up slightly before the footsteps stopped and the click of the safety being turned off on Vee’s gun sounded through the night. Draco turned around swiftly, finding his roommate holding a gun up to a dark figure._

_Her glare was fierce- protective, as she held her gun up to the figures head._

_“Who the hell are you, and why are you following my friend?” she snarled viciously._

* * *

 

**_Now…_ **

* * *

 

“I’ll only ask you one more time before I blow your brains out,” Vee snapped. “Who. Are. You. And. Why. Are. You. Following. My. Friend?”

Draco walked swiftly up to Vee and the figure, happy he thought to bring his pocket knife Vee had gotten him for his birthday. He palmed it through the back pocket of his jeans.

He glared up at the figure through the hood, slightly on edge at the fact that he still couldn’t see the figure’s face. “Answer her.”

The figure said nothing.

“You know, I saw you in the bar. You were watching Drake.” Vee said. Draco startled slightly at that but didn’t say anything.

“Everyone was watching him,” the figure is British. That wasn’t a good sign.

“But you never took your eyes off him. I may have been hammered, and I may still be, but I can still tell when someone starts stalking my friend.” Vee said before hiccuping.

The figure inhaled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he let the breathe go. “I just saw him and- Look, I’m sorry, if you let me go I promise I’ll never follow you again.”

“If you were really sorry, you’d answer our questions.” Draco said.

The figure sighed but didn’t speak again.

“Take off his hood.” Vee said.

The figure made a sound of protest as Draco yanked on the black fabric, but didn’t move to stop him.

It's a man in his late thirties, blonde hair, tan skin, brown eyes. He stunk of a familiar smell not strong enough to identify.

“I don’t recognise him.” Draco said.

“But he obviously knows you,” Vee argued.

“Maybe. Almost everyone in England knows me.” Draco said bluntly.

“Do you think he’s pumpkin juiced?”

“Polyjuiced,”

“Do you think he’s polyjuiced?”

“Maybe,” Draco said. “Although why he would use polyjuice, I do not know. It’s not like anybody else bothered to care if they were seen taunting an Ex Death Eater.”

“Maybe you do know him?” Vee said, glaring up at the stranger. She then looked back to Draco before biting her lip. “Can I check his pockets?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Because I don’t care about what he says-,”

“Nice,” The man said, his sarcasm and slight annoyance palpable.

“Shut up,” she snarled before continuing. “Like I was saying, I don’t care about what he says, but if you know him-,”

“Stop being a bitch and check his pockets.” Draco said.

Vee made a face before doing as he said. “Damn, I try to be nice one time-,”

The figure started moving around, protests falling from his lips but a quick poke to the head with the gun and he clammed up. Draco simply ignored him. “You’re nice all the time, but now is _not_ the time. Did you find anything?”   

“I found this wand and I found this bottle,” she brings it up to her face, sniffs it once before gagging nearly overdramatically. “What the fuck is that smell? What on Earth could possibly smell that bad?”

Draco grabbed the bottle and sniffed. He shuddered. “Yes, I am most certain that he used polyjuice.”

“Well then, what do we do now?” Vee asked.

“I… Don’t really know? This has never really happened before. He’s obviously a Wizard, I can’t let him go, he’d tell everyone where I live now and we’d have to move again-,’

“I wouldn’t tell anyone a thing!” the man rushed.

“But I also can’t _Obliviate_ him. My wand is at home.” he continued.

“Remind me what that means again?” Vee said.

“Its purpose is to erase, or modify the memory of another.”

“Got it. So what do we do?”

“I don’t particularly feel safe bringing him home.”

“I didn’t feel safe bringing you into my home.” Vee pointed out before suggesting, “We could bring him with us so you can _Obliviate_ him and then send him on his way.”

“I’d really rather you didn’t do that,” the stranger said. He was ignored.

“We’d have to be careful. It would get a little messy if we were seen holding a man at gunpoint as we took him up to our house.” Draco said.

“We could say it's a bit of foreplay?”

Draco stared, not quite sure what to say or think at that. “How- What- Why- I’m sorry, but do people actually do this?”

“Wouldn’t surprise me. Some people are very kinky, they could like a bit of danger in their sex life?”

“This really isn’t necessary-,” the stranger tried but again he is ignored.

“Are _you_ that kinky?” Draco asked, honestly curious.

Vee shrugged. “I don’t think I’d be opposed to it. But I’d make sure there were no bullets,”

“I’d hope so. From the thin walls I hear you like to get a little randy. Would hate it if you accidentally got a little to excited and blew your head off,” Draco said.

“Fuck off,” Vee laughed.

“Um, excuse me, but I would really just like to go home now.” the stranger said, face aflame.

“Too bad, we’ve reached a decision, you’re coming with us.” Vee said before pushing him along , jabbing him with her gun.

“Move along now,” Draco said cheerily. “We haven’t got all night.”

“Well, we do, but Drake gets a little cranky if he doesn’t get his ten hours of beauty sleep.” Vee said.

“Why are you telling him this?” Draco asked.

“Why did you tell him I like to be _kinky_ with my _lovers_?”

“Whore,”

“Slut,”

“Wanker,”

“That’s _you_ , I heard you _last_ _night-_ ,”

“You shut your rutting mouth!”

“Poor Drake-,”

“Oh my god, I will let him go right now-,”

“That’s fine by me!” the stranger spoke up.

“No you won’t. I know how much keeping our location secret means to you.”

“Then remind me again why we’re taking him to our real home?”

“Well, we don’t really have an extra house close by and we can’t take him to the boys’ house. They’d flip shit if they saw we had a hostage.”

“I bet Colin would find it sexy,” Draco said.

“Colin would find me bashing in a zombie’s head sexy. What can I say? I’m hot.”

“Or it's been less than twenty four hours and you already have him whipped beyond the point of no return.” Draco giggled.

“And that's a bad thing?”

“Not for you maybe, but for Leo and I, definitely a problem.”

Vee shrugged with a grin. Then her grin dropped and she went pale.

Draco immediately becomes worried. “Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry, but he just- he just changed!”

“What are you talking abou-?”

“His eyes! His eyes were brown, now they’re green! Like, really really green! Like Emerald City Green! Like evil-witch-magic green!”

Draco sighed with a little laugh, happy it wasn’t something else. “Merlin, you really gave me a fright. I thought you were going to vomit.”

“I still might! Did you even hear me? His _eyes_ _changed_ _color_!” she hissed.

“That’s the polyjuice wearing off. We really need to book it if we don’t want people to react the same way you did,” he said, distracted.

When they reached their building, Vee hid the gun behind her thin jacket and plastered on a smile. “Make one wrong move and I won’t hesitate to shoot. Stay right in front of me, follow Drake, and don’t speak unless spoken too.” she said tightly.

“Is that one of the things you like to say in the bedroom?”

Vee snarled at the stranger and Draco- Well, Draco didn’t know what to say to that.

Thankfully though, they didn’t run into anyone on their way too their floor so they had the elevator to themselves.

“So… You guys live in a penthouse… Looks nice,” the stranger said.

“Shut up, we’re not changing our mind about _Oblivioning_ you.” Vee said.

“ _Obliviating_ ,” Draco corrected.

“Same thing,” she shrugged. “God, I hate elevator music.”

“Don’t we all?” Draco asked before the ding of the elevator alerts them that they’ve reached their floor.

“Okay, I’m going to go and get my wand. You,” he pointed to Vee. “-You will put him somewhere-preferably the living room, unless you want to tie him up in the kitchen but that seems a bit overkill,”

Vee snorted. “That’s not the word I’d use.”

Draco shook his head as he sped walked to his room. He grabbed the small box on top of his dresser. It's covered in dust. He blows on it and the dust went flying. He gulped. This was the first time in years that he’s touched his wand. He’s almost afraid the spell won’t work properly.

“Drake! What’s taking you so long?” Vee called from the living room.

Draco nearly jumped out of his skin. He called back shakily, “Nothing! I’ll be right out!”

Draco is sure Vee could hear the shakiness in his voice and is glad when she doesn’t say anything about it. He sets the box on his bed before heading into the living room. What he saw almost made him drop his wand. He could feel the blood drain from his face and his mouth went dry.

Vee has him sitting on the sofa, away from the coffee table so he can’t kick at her. She’s standing behind him with her gun pointed to his head. But none of that is what had him ready to faint.

It's the fact that Harry Potter is sitting in his living room in muggle clothes with an almost apologetic look on his face.

Draco almost couldn’t breathe. “What- How- It-,” Draco stuttered, so in shock that his brain had frozen almost completely so that he couldn’t even form a single sentence.

Vee watched him, concern pooling heavily in her eyes.  “Drake… Do you really know him?” her voice is soft, as if he were an animal ready to bolt. He hates the fact that she isn’t completely wrong about him ready to bolt.

Potter watched Draco carefully, unsure of what to do.

“Drake? What do you want me to do?”

“D- Do-,” Draco swallowed a few times, his wand shaking slightly at his side. “Do you even know who he is?”

Vee slowly shook her head. “I didn’t get a good look at him. I only saw his eyes, and then he changed-,” she suddenly stopped talking and her face paled. She bent down and moved Potter’s head so she could see him better before screaming and stumbling away. She ran to Draco’s side, gun trembling in her hand. Her jaw dropped, the resemblance simply uncanny to a gaping fish.

She stood there, gaping for a while just like Draco before her face turned red and she snapped her jaw shut. Then instead of shock, she started trembling with rage.

“You-.” she seethed. “You! How dare you follow him! How dare you-!” she stomped toward him and raised her hand, ready to smack him, her eyes ablaze. Then her hand was flying and Draco’s eyes widen as Potter watched her with wide eyes, preparing to take the hit.

Draco snapped out of his stupor and acted quickly. He grabbed Vee’s hand before it made contact with the Hero of the Wizarding World.

She looked up at him, a furious noise escaping her. “Drake, what are you doing?”

“You- you’re intoxicated. You’re not thinking straight. I’ll get you to bed and deal with him.” he walked her to her room despite her protests.

“But-he- he made you miserable! He was the source of your humiliation for years! How can you just-?” she squawked.

“Go to bed. We’ll talk about all of this in the morning.” he said, scooping her up and tossing her into her bed, mechanically.

Draco then left her room and shut her door. He walked back to the couch his childhood enemy sat on, watching Draco apprehensively.

Draco stood in front of him, arms crossed, wand tapping against his shoulder, a thousand thoughts flying so fast through his head, not a single one readable.

“So, uh-,” Potter started.

“Shut up. Just- shut up. I need to think.” Draco said, voice hard.

Potter snapped his mouth closed and started twiddling with his thumbs.

_‘What do I do with him?’_ Draco internally groaned as he started pacing in front of his long-time nemesis. _‘If he’s here, then someone must have sent him. I can’t harm him in any way and I certainly can’t just obliviate him, I’d leave my magic signature and then I’d give the aurors a reason to take me in. He doesn’t have the weasel or Granger near him but they must be close by. The Golden trio never go anywhere without each other.’_ Draco resisted the urge to scream. Obviously, he had limited time, a day or two tops before he had to resolve this mess before everything went to hell.

Draco sighed, his frustration palpable. He grabbed Potter by the arm, dragging him up and pulling him to the guest bedroom.

He opened the door allowing Potter to go in.

“This is the guest bedroom. You’ll be staying here until I figure out what to do with you. Hopefully my friend will also be in a much better mood and will not attempt to bloody your face. You will be in no danger during your stay here. The wards are up and disapparition will not be possible. I’ll lock the door to prevent your escape. If you’re hungry, speak now or wait until breakfast.” he waited but when Potter said nothing he went on. “The door will automatically unlock when breakfast is ready. I apologize for holding you hostage but I do hope you understand why I cannot simply let you leave while you know where I live. Goodnight, Potter.”

And with that, he closed the door with a click.

* * *

 

Harry Potter plopped down on the overly comfortable bed in the room.

_‘Shite,’_ he thought. _‘I really should have been more careful.’_

“So what do you plan on doing know, Harry?”

Harry sighed and ruffled his hair as Ron and Hermione both appeared, his invisibility cloak folded over Hermione’s arm.

“Harry, I told you this was a bad idea,” Hermione hissed quietly at him, not giving Harry a chance to even think about Ron’s question. “You should have let them be like I said!”

Harry bit his lip. “I know, and I’m sorry for getting you guys into this. Now we’re all locked in here and I don’t even have my wand!”

Hermione glared at him. “Serves you right. Now, all we have to do is wait until morning. You’ll tell him you won’t tell anyone where he lives-,”

“I wasn’t going to in the first place!” Harry exclaimed.

“Well Malfoy doesn’t know that. Now hush up and let me finish so we can leave in the morning with no problem.” she said with a huff.

“Why can’t we leave now? _We_ have our wands.” Ron asked with a look of confusion.

“Because, A; _Harry_ doesn’t have his wand and we don’t know where Malfoy put it and B; the lock is magicily timed meaning we can only get out once it’s struck the time it's been set for,” Hermione explained.

“How do you know about the lock?” Harry asked.

“I know about it because-,” she stopped, biting her lip as she contemplated how and even if she should tell them. She doubted very much that Malfoy would enjoy them knowing about his suicidal tendencies in France.

“Hermione?”  Harry urged.

“Now is not the time. Maybe later, when we’re not in danger of being found out. We need to be quiet and wait until morning.”

* * *

 

Draco’s eyes opened.

He couldn’t really say that he woke up, because he never really went to sleep. He’d been up all night trying to come up with a nice and easy way to get Potter to keep his fat mouth shut about his location. He threw himself out of bed and rushed out the door, careful to be quiet. Draco still had nearly an hour until the door unlocked.

Draco decided late last night that he’d cook a large breakfast. He heard Granger and the weasel last night in their discussion to escape. Surly a nice, big breakfast will put them in a good mood and hopefully will make them more understanding.

First he grabbed the eggs from the fridge along with the milk, butter and jam and silently praised Vee for taking the endless hours it took to help him learn how to cook.

As he got everything cooking, the smell started to waft throughout the house. He moved swiftly throughout the kitchen, just as Vee had taught him too. He avoided the pooping grease as the bacon and sausages sizzling in the pan. He carefully poured in the ingredients for the homemade pancake batter recipe Vee had made years ago before grabbing a ladle and putting it onto the pan and into the waffle maker. He made spinach omelettes in another pan on the huge stove, thankful that he had convinced Vee to get it. He pulled out the fresh strawberries, blueberries, and syrup and peanut butter and conjured some whipped cream. Everyone loved whipped cream.

He quickly sat everything at the table in an organized and neat way. He made sure everything looked perfect, subconsciously visualizing the dinners he would often have at the Manor with his parents during the holidays. He pulled out the silverware and made sure it was aligned perfectly. He then grabbed the multiple plates filled with pancakes, waffles, bacon, eggs, omelettes, and sausage and made a nice little oval in the middle of the table with the food, charming the objects to float towards anyone who wanted them that way no one had to hustle and make a mess trying to get to anything.

He looked over to the clock on the wall and grinned. He made perfect time. Only twenty minutes left, enough time for him to shower properly. He quickly put on the tea and coffee, pulling out the milk and sugar. He placed charms to keep the food hot and fresh while placing cooling charms on the things that needed to stay cool.

He then rushed into his room, throwing off his clothes before he rushed into the bathroom. He made sure to scrub his body down good and to get any excess flour out of his hair and off his face. He washed his hair quickly before jumping out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist and turned on the automatic blow dryer on the sides of the mirror and is immediately hit with cool air. While he dried his hair, he brushed his teeth.

When he was satisfied with the blown out, bouncy look his hair had, he went back into his room and threw on a new pair of clothes. He shrugged on a pair of form fitting jeans and a black t-shirt before brushing his hair. He didn’t put any product in it because his hair didn’t need it. He made sure his fringe was perfect before leaving and heading back into the kitchen, just in time to see Vee and Potter both open the doors to their rooms. Vee looked up at Potter before glaring dangerously, the look only slightly ruined because of her baggy pajama pants, sports bra, and messy hair. She crossed her arms as she subconsciously tried to cover herself up.

She looked over to Draco, her eyes stormy. “Why is he still here?” she demanded.

“Good Morning to you too, Vee, lovely day we’re having, isn’t it?” he drawled.

Her glare intensified. He ignored her.

“Potter, please, come sit. Breakfast has been made. Granger and Weasley are invited to join of course.” Draco said as he leaned against the wall.

Potter’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“Oh come off it, Potter, I heard you all last night. We don't plan on hurting any of you.”

Vee scoffed.

“Well, I don’t plan on hurting any of you. There's only so much I can say for my very unhappy friend.” he corrected.

Potter made his way to one side of the table and sat down, wearily watching the glaring girl as he did so as he was followed by Granger and Weasley.

Weasley kept an eye on Draco as he took a seat next to Potter. Granger looked perfectly at ease as she sat at the end of the table. Vee huffed as Draco motioned for her to join them and didn’t move.

Draco rolled his eyes as she went back into her room, most likely for her gun and sure enough, when she re-appeared a second later, the butt of her gun hanging could be seen hanging from the waist of her pants. She leaned against the wall, watching the Golden Trio closely.

Draco had to refrain himself from banging his head against the wall. He put on his most charming smile. “Good Morning everyone, nice sleep?”

Weasley glared at him. Draco smiled innocently.

Granger moved to grab a plate, loading food onto it as if everything were normal. Draco internally praised Merlin for this one act of normalcy, ignoring the irony of the entire situation.

Weasley watched Granger with wide eyes. “Are you kidding me? He could have poisoned it!”

Draco kept himself from spitting at the weasel. “Of course not. That would be a waste of food, now wouldn’t it?”

Granger glared at her husband. “Ronald, you’re being rude.”

Weasley's eyes widened almost impossibly so. “Me? I’m being rude? He kept us hostage!” he snapped.

“For good reason too. We can’t have you running off to your wizard friends and giving away our location, now can we?” Vee snarled viciously.

Weasley looked at her, obviously not sure what to think of a muggle standing up for a Malfoy. “Who are you?”

“The woman who’s going to shove a spoon up your-,”

“Vee!” Draco snapped. “They are our guests, we do _not_ need to threaten them!”

Vee clenched her jaw. “Well, he’s being rude to y-,”

“I do not care! I can handle my own!”

“But-,”

Draco inhaled sharply and she clamped her mouth shut.

“Please, sit down and eat so we can all talk about this _rationally_ , like _adults_.” he said, silently pleading with his eyes.

Vee moved to sit down beside Granger, shoving her chair out roughly and plopping down in it, but other than that, any other traces of anger were completely gone. She started pilling food onto her plate before eating and after a while, Weasley and Potter start doing the same.

“So, I think we should simply forget any of this ever happened. Your secret is safe with me,” Granger offered after a large amount of tense silence, talking in between bites.

“I agree,” Vee bit out, glaring daggers at Weasley. “That sounds like a fantastic idea.”

Potter simply nodded. Weasley looked at them all, exasperation and frustration showing heavily on his face. “Are you _joking_?”

“What? Obviously coming here was a mistake.” Potter said. Draco eyed him, looking for any sign of emotion. He found nothing but a glint in his eye. Draco didn’t know whether to be worried or angered by it. He decided to ignore it.

“How can you both be so calm about all of this? We’re eating at _Malfoy’s_ table and you guys are acting like this is perfectly normal, like he wasn’t the worst narcissistic, racist-,”

Vee growled. “Watch your mouth!”

Weasley looked at her in disbelief. “Do you even know who you’re living with? Do you not understand how much shite-?”

He’s cut off as Vee stood up swiftly, leaning across the table to grab Weasley by the front of his shirt with both hands, pulling him up from his seat and practically yanking him across the table with only a few centimeters between the two. She glared at him, eyes flaming. “I understand everything. I understand what he went through, I understand everything he’s done, right _and_ wrong, from the day he was born. I understand that he has changed his perspective on life and I understand that _you_ trying to bring back old ghosts and trying to turn _me_ against him is only pissing me the fuck off and making me want to have you obliterated,-”

“You mean _obliviated_?” Draco asked almost shakily, taken completely aback by Vee’s anger.

“ _No_ , _I_ _mean_ **_obliterated_** _!”_ she roared. “I will not simply sit here and listen to you insult a member of my family because of his past. He has moved on and tried to forget his past- he doesn't need you to come stomping in here, blaming him for things I guarantee you he’s already beat himself up for a million times! You will not hurt him, I do not care if you're the bloody Minister of the Wizarding World, if you so much as even lay a hand on him, I _will_ **_end_** _you!”_ she shouted, fire burning brightly in her eyes.

“Vee, I think-,”

“ _Shut_ **_up_** , Draco Abraxas Malfoy!” she snapped. Draco immediately put his hands up and went back to eating, knowing that the use of his full, real name means she’s at the end of her rope.

Granger and Potter watched the exchange with wide eyes.

“Vee, I would appreciate it if you didn’t kill my husband.” Granger said in shock.

“And I would appreciate it if your husband kept his mouth shut,” Vee snarled back. “Guess we don’t always get everything we want.”

“Vee, I’m calling Colin and Leo.” Draco decided before standing up. Vee immediately dropped Weasley, eyes wide. He scrambled back into his chair, leaning as far away from Vee as possible.

“What? Why?” she whimpered.

“Because you’re hungover and you overreact-,”

“I am _not_ overreacting!” Vee roared.

“You really are, love.” he said as he gently grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away from the table and away from the very traumatized Weasley. She hardly fought him but protested strongly.

“I’m sorry, Drake, I’m sorry, I’ll behave, I don’t want to leave you alone with them, please don’t make me leave.” she begged, fear evident in her eyes as she was guided into her room. Draco shut the door behind him. He leaned against it. “Get dressed.”

“Drake, please. I’ll behave!” she said.

“You’re hungover.” he said.

“It’s just a small headache! I don’t trust them around you, I’m afraid they’ll bring back past trauma. Especially the ginger. He’s rude!” Vee begged.

“I can assure you I was much worse to them in school.”

“Dake, please, let me stay. I won’t say anything, I’ll let you handle everything! Just- Let me stay! I don’t trust them!”

Draco inhaled deeply before letting it out loudly. “Look, we need them to agree with us. We need them to like us, but more importantly we need to make sure they agree to keep our secret! You _threatening_ them will not help a _single_ thing!” he exclaimed.

She nodded furiously. “I know, I know and I'm sorry, I lost my temper! I’ll take some pain medicine and sit down and eat quietly. Just let me stay, let me help you with this!” she gave him her puppy eyes.

Draco bit his lip. “Fine, but one _word_ , one _threat_ and I’m calling them. And as much as it pains me to say this, you _will_ apologize to Weasley.”

Vee beamed. “Of course! I promise!”

Draco sighed before opening the door. Vee practically flew out the door and sat gracefully in her chair, beaming up at everyone. The Golden Trio look slightly shocked at her quick mood change.

She looked at Weasley. “I sincerely apologize for losing my temper. I ask you nicely to not insult my best friend during your stay here.” she said nicely.

Granger and Potter both elbowed Weasley sharply and he hissed. He then looked back to Vee and smiled hesitantly. “Of course, I accept your apology. I am… also sorry for the way I reacted.”

“Perfect!” Draco clapped, causing the Trio to jump. He went over to a cabinet above the sink and pulled out a bottle of advil and shaking two pill out before putting it back up and filling up a glass of water, speaking as he did so. “Now that we’ve got that settled, can we all agree to forget any of this ever happened and that I was not stalked last night and had to to hold you hostage?” he handed Vee the pills and she took them with the water.

Vee smiled sharply at the three friends. They all nod.

“Of course. We apologize for following you last night, it was completely unnecessary. We promise your location will be kept secret. We won’t tell a soul.” Granger said with a smile.

“We understand you won’t, you’ve kept our secret so far,” Vee said as she sipped her water. “But those two-,” she pointed to Potter and Weasley. “Those two aren’t nearly as nice as you.”

Potter’s jaw dropped comically and Weasley squawked indignantly.

“Excuse me, _what?_ ” Potter glared at Granger. “You’ve known where they’d been this entire time?” Granger winced and glared at Vee. Vee simply smiled in satisfaction.

“Hermione?” Weasley asked, surprised.

Granger sighed heavily. “Yes, I’ve known about their whereabouts for… sometime now.” she said carefully.

“How long?” Potter growled.

“Nearly five years,”

Potter's face turned red. “Are you kidding me?” he demanded.

Grager only shook her head.

“Why did you keep this from us? Why didn’t you say anything?” Weasley asked, hurt in his voice.

“She couldn’t even if she’d wanted to.” Vee said happily.

“Unbreakable Vow,” Draco said, glaring at Vee dangerously.

“Why in the name of Merlin-,” Weasley started but Draco interrupted him.

“When she first found me, I was in a very… challenging part of my life.” Draco said carefully. “Has everyone had their fill?” he asked, gesturing to the left over food. Everyone nodded and he vanished the leftovers, charming the dishes to start cleaning themselves.

“Explain. Please.” Potter said, staring at Granger intensely.

Draco breathed in deeply. Vee’s smile has disappeared and been replaced with a guilty, ashamed frown. Draco patted her hand under the table, signalling that it was alright before withdrawing. Her frown deepened when she realized he was actually going to let them know.

“Drake, you don’t have to let her say anything.” Vee said quietly as she watched him wearily.

He shook his head at her. “I’m fine. Are you?”

“I’ve long stopped being ashamed. We did what we had to do to survive, there is _no_ shame in that.” she said fiercely. Draco smiled softly at her before turning towards the Golden Trio, nodding at Granger to tell the story. She breathed in deeply, looking at Draco and Vee apologetically.

“It was six months after he’d disappeared-,”

* * *

 

_April 10th, 2012_

* * *

 

_Hannah Abbott giggled. “Oh, Hermione, you’re so innocent. How could you have never been to a stripclub before?”_

_Hermione’s face reddened furthur. “I’m engaged, I shouldn’t be here!” she hissed._

_“But it’s for Luna’s bachelorette party. You know that Luna and Rolf are celebrating their open marriage by going to strip clubs.” Hannah explained._

_“How does Neville feel about this?” Hermione asked._

_“He’s okay with it. He trusts me.” she said simply._

_“But-,” Hermione pleaded._

_“No buts. We’re doing this for Luna. Plus, you need to see that the world is filled with fantastic men and women that can shake their arses real well.” she winked. Hermione spluttered._

_“But why did we have to come to Chicago to do it?”_

_“The boys are going to Vegas, but we wanted to go somewhere smaller since we were taking you along.” Hannah explained._

_“Oh, Merlin,” Hermione groaned._

_Just then Luna came back and waved us past the long line of people unable to get in, high fiving the bouncer on the way in._

_Hermione’s senses are immediately assaulted with the bright, flashing lights (pinks, reds, purples, greens, reds, golds, and silvers), the loud music (upbeat techno with a deep, sexy beat), and the multiple smell combinations (sweat, perfume, and alcohol)._

_Hermione took in everything in awe. Hundreds of people dancing, grinding and drinking like nobody’s watching. There are multiple stages with both genders either stripping on a pole, or just dirty dancing. In some parts of the room along the walls are glass cylinders flashing with lights with a person in it. There's water pouring down on the dancers inside them, encouraging the colorful droplets over their faces, chests, and hair. Their eyes are either looking out into the crowd with seductive looks or closed in an almost blissful daze as they danced dirtily._

_“Dear Merlin,” Hermione breathed._

_Hannah practically screamed. “This is the best club in Chicago! I can easily see why! Merlin, look at all these beautiful people!”_

_Luna smiled gently. “They are all very beautiful. I would love to dance with one of them,” she said in her soft, dreamy voice._

_“Then let’s buy you a dance!” Hannah exclaimed, excited. “Pick someone out that you like!”_

_Luna gazed around the room at all the dancers, landing on one on the stage. She raised her hand and pointed. “He looks nice,”_

_Hermione and Hannah struggle to see the one that’s caught her eye._

_He’s a pale man with a long, slender body with skin that looks almost soft enough to be silk. His hair is only a little lighter than Luna’s and he looked to be the same age as the three girls. Hannah shrugged. “Why not? I can certainly see why you’d want him, he looks like an angel.”_

_“He looks like Draco Malfoy,” Luna said dreamily._

_Hermione nearly fainted when she realised Luna was right. “Holy hell, he does look like Malfoy!”_

_“You don’t think…?” Hannah started, squinting at the dancer._

_When the dancer turns around, his face can clearly be seen and identified as Draco Malfoy._

_“Merlin's saggy tits, is he wearing eyeliner?” Hannah exclaimed._

_Sure enough, Malfoy’s silver-blue eyes were ringed in black as he gazed out into the crowd with seductive eyes. The crowd in front of him is quite large and when he winks, the crowd goes crazy, throwing more and more money up onto the stage. Malfoy even slithered to the ground toward one of the men cheering him on and let him put a bill into his tight black leather pants. He moved gracefully with the right amount of speed to keep the crowd interested but slow enough to keep them begging for more._

_“Has he always been that attractive?” Hannah asked._

_“Forget that, he’s been missing for months, why is he working in a strip club?” Hermione snapped, stressed out._

_“I would also like the answer to that question. Maybe when we buy a dance, he’ll tell us.” Luna suggested before moving towards Malfoy._

_Hermione nearly ran people over in her rush to follow Luna._

_Luna moved her way up to the front of the crowd. The screen above the stage read the name_ **_Echo_ ** _. Hermione assumed that was Malfoy’s stage name._

_Luna watched Malfoy with her big eyes, silently trying to get his attention. Finally, when the song ended, he bent down and looked at her with a crooked grin on his face._

_“What can I get you, ma’am?” he asked with a wink. His voice was slurred slightly, the pupils in his eyes almost impossibly enlarged._

_“A private dance, please.” she said softly as she handed him nearly two hundred bucks. He shook his head. “Sorry little lady,” he said as he caught sight of Hannah and Hermione behind Luna, watching Malfoy with wide eyes. “It's a hundred per person, per song; I’m not cheap.” Luna threw in another two hundred._

_His grin widened. “Well then, I think you got yourself a dance. Why don’t you stand over by that girl in the red-,” he pointed to a dark girl with black hair cut in a bob in red lingerie. She’s one of the people in the cylinders with water pouring down on her. “I’ll take you all to my own little room.” he then stood up and grabbed his black leather jacket from the stage before walking behind it and disappearing out of sight._

_“Oh Merlin, oh Merlin, oh Merlin, we just bought a lap dance from Draco Malfoy…” Hannah mumbled as she and Hermione followed Luna to where he told them to wait._

_“Something about him didn’t seem right, did anybody else notice that?” Hermione asked._

_“Everything about him didn’t seem right. He just agreed to dance for all of us. I don't even think he recognised us!” Hannah exclaimed._

_“I don’t feel right about this. We shouldn’t be buying a dance from him, we should be helping him!” Hermione insisted._

_“I agree. The Wrackspurts are all over him. He’s terribly unhappy,”_

_“Maybe he’s spiralling because of his mother's death?” Luna continued._

_“Shite, that’s really depressing.” Hannah said with a frown._

_Just then, Draco appeared. He grinned down at the girls with blown out eyes and bright white teeth and he smelled surprisingly good for someone covered in sweat._

_“Ready?” he asked with a wink. Luna nodded with a gentle smile. He then started walking towards one of the corners covered in red velvet curtains. He held the curtains open for the three women before closing them behind him, the loud music from the other side of the curtain surprisingly falling away into nothing but a strong vibration._

_“Specific song request?” Malfoy slurred slightly as the girls sat down._

_“I’m a fan of Britney Spears,” Luna said._

_“_ **_Toxic_ ** _it is,” he said before clicking a button on the wall. The lights dimmed and the song started playing. His body started slithering around the girls and they all had to keep reminding themselves that touching wasn’t aloud._

_“So, ladies, special occasion?” Draco asked only a few seconds into the song as he grinded into Luna slightly._

_“Yes, we’re celebrating my open marriage tonight,” Luna said._

_“Open marriage! How taboo!” he giggled._

_“As taboo as being an exotic dancer?” Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow._

_Draco flashed her a shark like grin. “The correct term is ‘stripper’. I find any other word for it offensive.”_

_“Why is that?” she asked._

_“Because anyone who does what I do doesn’t deserve to have it sugar coated,,” he said as he dropped to the floor on his knees, crawling towards the girls. “It’s like lying to yourself, which I find completely pathetic.” he allowed Luna to reach out and touch his abdomen. “I suppose a congratulations is in order?”_

_“Thank you. My husband and I are quite excited.” Luna said._

_“So what are you doing here?” Hermione asked._

_“Why, I’m dancing for you three beauties.” he lowered himself into the splits as he grinded his hips into the floor._

_“Why are you a- stripper? You have Malfoy Manor-,”_

_Draco hissed and stopped dancing immediately, pupils shrinking rapidly. “Fuck, I haven’t heard that name in months. How do you know about that?”_

_“You don’t recognize us?” Luna asked._

_“No, but at the rate my high is going down, I don’t doubt that I will in a few minutes.” he then dug into his pockets, pulling out a small bag filled with white pills. He took one out and popped it into his mouth. Hermione made an alerted noise. “You’re doing drugs,” she said._

_“Of course I am, name one dancer in this club that isn’t,” he said before going back to his dance._

_“Why are you drugging yourself? It leaves you awfully defenseless.” Luna said softly._

_“I take them to forget, I drink to prevent,” he giggled, his pupils slowly starting to grow._

_“What does that mean?” Hannah asked._

_“Just something me and my friend like to say to keep ourselves sane. It ensures that we don’t become addicts.”_

_“That doesn’t make any sense,” Hermione argued._

_“But it’s not supposed to, is it? One minute you’re on top of the world, the next you’re writhing in the gutter with rats. How does that make sense?” he quizzed._

_“Bad decisions.” Hermione said._

_“Bad decisions,” Malfoy repeated. “And who is blamed for that?”_

_“The decision maker.” Hannah said._

_“Is it? Or is it the person who encouraged those decisions, who made the wrong decisions seem right and the right decisions seem wrong?”_

_“I don’t understand what this has to do with anything,” Hermione stated, a painful, gut wrenching feeling pooling way down deep in her gut._

_Malfoy sighed as the song ended. “No one ever does.” then he left the room, disappearing from sight._

* * *

 

_The girls waited until the club closed, they waited near the end of the  club where the backstage door was. They waited for Draco Malfoy to reappear._

_“This isn’t going to work. No way would he accept any help from us,” Hannah fidgeted._

_“We’ve still got to try. It wouldn’t be right to leave him out here like this. There's no possible way he knows what he’s doing!” Hermione insisted._

_The door opened and dozens of dancers covered in giant, fluffy coats start flooding out into the streets._

_Hermione watched intently for the dishevelled blonde head of Draco Malfoy, catching sight of him and a girl, the girl with the short black hair, the girl he’d told them to stand by while they waited for their dance. They start walking a completely different way than all the other dancers._

_“This is not going to end well,” Hannah muttered under her breathe as Hermione ran up to Malfoy._

_“Malfoy!” she called out. He didn’t turn around. She called out his name again, finally gaining his attention. He and the girl turn around to glare at her._

_“Ah, Ms. Granger, how nice of you to stop by. What can I do for you?” he hissed, the air around him turning white._

_“Why are you here? Don’t you know that people are looking for you?” Hermione asked, ignoring his and the girls glares._

_“If they’re looking for me then they want something. I’m tired of the Wizarding World. I don’t care how bad you think things are here, but I’m happy right where I am. I’m making a life for myself all on my own.  I’m making my own beliefs and I’m seeing things from other people's perspectives. I can’t think of a single reason why I should go back to that dark magic infested hellhole.” Malfoy snarled._

_“You enjoy dancing in scanty clothes for money?” Hermione asked in disbelief._

_“I enjoy being able to make my own decisions,” he countered._

_“Are you going to give me another riddle on decisions?” she asked, hands on her hips._

_Malfoy narrowed his eyes. The girl beside him glared menacingly at Hermione. “What do you want from him?” she demanded._

_“I don’t want anything from him, I want to help him, he doesn’t need to be here, he-,” Hermione tried._

_“Do_ ** _not_** _tell me where I do and_ ** _do_** **_not_** _need to be. My parents are_ ** _dead_** _, my friends are all either_ ** _missing_** _,_ ** _unreachable_** _or_ ** _dead_** _and I’m a_ ** _very_** _well known and hated Death Eater. I’d get less hate here on the streets as a_ ** _prostitute_** _than as a manager of one of the stores in Diagon Alley. There's nothing for me there, Granger,_ ** _Nothing_** _. So leave me alone and forget you ever saw me here.”_

_“Why?” Hermione challenged._

_Malfoy bared his teeth. “Because I‘m no longer being controlled by power crazed maniacs and I’d like to keep it that way.”_

_Hermione stared into Malfoy’s cold, steel eyes. She never thought he’d ever do anything like this, but she shouldn’t have been so surprised. She remembered seeing him broken, nearly naked on his own bedroom floor. She remembered visiting him in France a few times and having to lock him in his room to keep him from harming himself as his mother's mind slowly started to deteriorate. She remembered watching from a distance as he buried his mother alone, as he sobbed over her grave for hours,_ **_alone_ ** _. She remembered visiting Draco the next day and being the one to file a missing persons report. She remembered thinking her childhood enemy truly had no on else in the world._

_Hermione sighed. “Fine. But if you need anything, don’t hesitate to Floo me.”_

_Malfoy's face smoothed over, relaxing now that the threat of going back to the cold, unforgiving Wizarding World has subsided. “Of course.” he said._

_She turned around, ready to walk away before someone grabbed her arm. She turned around to see Malfoy looking at her with pleading eyes. “Please don’t tell anyone where I am. Please. I can’t bear the thought of going back there.”_

_Hermione nodded. “I’ll keep your secret. But you need to find a way to get off these streets, to find a better job. You and I both know you’re meant for so much more than this.”_

_“Do we?” he asked, eyes shining with moisture in the bright, orange light of the street lamps._

_Hermione nodded. “Yes. I’ll Vow to keep your secret if you Vow to better your life within the next year. If not, I’m coming back here, and I’m bringing you home with me.” she held out her hand, her bright magic crackling energetically around her hand. Malfoy looked at her before holding out his own hand, shimmering with his own, clamer, cold, nearly dead magic._

_“Deal.” he said._

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys I am back with another chapter and I know the last chapter had you dying for more, well here it is! I hope you enjoyed it and I cant wait to see you guys in my next chapter!
> 
> (School starts up again next Wednesday! Summer went by fast didn't it?)
> 
> Toxic- Britney Spears
> 
> Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me, credit obviously goes to J.K.Rowling and the Warner Bros.


	7. Harry Potter the Cliché Stalker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, sorry for the late update but here it is, finally!
> 
> Enjoy!

_ October 26th, 2018: Earlier That Day _

* * *

 

“So… I’ve found Long Beach, what do I do now?” Harry mumbled to himself as he looked around the busy streets bustling with people. He’d spent the last week or so watching Malfoy’s videos to get a good understanding of where he liked to hang out and where he’s most likely to be at a certain time of day. Unfortunately, he never really had a schedule. He just did whatever he and his friend, Vee felt like doing.

“You could start by going back home and leaving Malfoy alone,” Hermione glared.

Harry rolled his eyes. “I never said you had to come with me!”

“I have to,” Hermione snapped. “If only to keep you from screwing up the perfectly fine and safe _and_ _good_ life Malfoy has created for himself.”

“Why are you so affronted about this, Hermione?” Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.

She made a furious noise. “Do you seriously not understand that by tracking him down, you’re opening him back up into a world that he very specifically left for a reason?”

“Well, he can’t keep running forever. He has to face what he’s done-,”

Hermione turned red in the face with anger. “Ronald Bilius Weasley, if you want to keep your head, I suggest you do _not_ finish that sentence!” 

Ron’s eyes widened and he held his hands up. “I’m sorry, I just-”

“You don’t even know the half of what Malfoy has been through these last few years, so don’t you  _ dare _ try to say he hasn’t served his time! You  _ know _ he didn’t even want to be a Death Eater! How  _ dare _ you-,”

Harry quickly interrupted. “Hey, I think I found him!” he said, a little bit louder than he’d intended. He winced when Hermione’s sharp glare turned from his best friend to he himself. He nodded toward a group of four people walking by a Starbucks and Hermione’s head snapped to take in the scene. 

They’re an odd group yet they looked like they belonged wherever they went. Three men and one woman who looked only a few years younger than everyone in the group. Her skin was a light brown, her hair deep black, and eyes so bright they looked like a ray of literal sunshine. She was of average height for a woman but shorter than all of her companions. Her arm was linked through a pale man's with hair so light it could be considered white and features so sharp Harry wondered if he would be cut simply by touching the mans cheek bones. He could easily be considered the second tallest in the group. 

They all look happy except one of the men. He was easily the tallest in the group with a clean, sharp haircut with silver tips and a sharp jawline. His skin was darker than the womans and his clothes were all white and black with no sleeves and close fitting jeans tight enough to know he had to be  _ seriously _ packing. His face was void of any expression but his eyes sparkled whenever he looked at the girl. She was currently trying to fight a smile as she scowled at a man-brown hair and playful, bright blue eyes that popped against his tan skin. Second most muscled in the group, third tallest (barely by a few centimeters)- as he waggled his eyebrows at her. She turned toward her companion who seemed to be laughing. The expression looked so foreign but like it belonged on the relaxed, happy-

“ _ Is that Draco Malfoy, in muggle clothes, laughing _ ?” Ron exclaimed, eyes bulging from his head comically. 

“Do stop gaping, Ronald, you look like a fish.” Hermione grumbled.

“How are you not surprised by this? He tortured you for year just for being a  _ Muggle-born _ !”

“Oh, honestly. It’s been years and he changed a lot during the year after the war. His mother's death has obviously affected his previous beliefs.” Hermione said, surprisingly soft.

Harry shook his head in disbelief. He didn’t believe the slightest bit that Draco Malfoy could possibly be living in the muggle world with  _ muggle _ friends willingly. Something had to be up.

And thus, the dreaded words were spoken. 

“I think Malfoy’s up to something.” Harry declared.

* * *

 

“Well, still think he’s up to something?” Hermione asked, hands on her hips as she arched a brow.

“Just because he’s happy someone didn’t die doesn’t mean he isn’t up to something,” Harry said, albit uncertain. Even he had to admit that it was strange to see Draco Malfoy cheering on a muggle as she surfed. He had been even more surprised when he’d nearly tackled her into the water in a tight hug. He’d finally decided that maybe he was wrong about Malfoy being up to something when he’d picked up the girl and carried her out into the streets all the way to their house. Harry nearly scoffed when he realised that Malfoy’s choice in luxury hadn’t changed a bit in the last six years.

But just because Malfoy had made friends with muggles didn’t mean that he still couldn’t possibly be up to something. Harry told Hermione as much.

“Then what do you want us to do, mate? They went up, we can’t follow them in.” Ron said.

Harry set his face, determined to figure out Malfoy’s deal. “Then we stake out here until they come back out. We know enough from the research we’d done that he goes out every night to some place called the F-Note. We wait until they come back out and we follow them there.”

“Really?” Hermione asked, voice bordering on a very un-Hermione like whine.

“What do we do if nothing happens? We can’t keep following him around like you did in sixth year, mate.” Ron said wearily.

“Hey, I was right  _ then _ and there's a chance I could be right  _ now _ !” Harry snapped.

“Harry, it’s illegal to loiter,” Hermione stated.

Harry nearly groaned. “Fine then, follow me.” he took them into an alley only a few block away from Malfoy’s building. He dug into his bag, thankful he’d thought to bring it before he left the hotel room. He grabbed his invisibility cloak.

“We can use this,” he said with a grin.

Ron eyed him and the cloak. “I don't know if you’ve noticed yet, but we aren’t exactly children anymore, there's no way we’ll all be able to fit under that thing.”

“We’ll be fine, we can even use a Disillusionment Charm if you’re so worried.” Harry said. 

“And just how long do you expect us to wait here?” Hermione asked, arms crossed as Harry pulled the cloak over them.

“However long it takes for him to come back out,” he said with a quick smile. “Now, let's try to get comfortable so we don’t get caught.”

“This is ridiculous,” Hermione grumbled as she wiggled into a comfortable position.

Ron grunted. “Why can’t we just wait at the ‘Note’, or whatever it's called?”

“Because we only have so much muggle money,” Harry said, hissing as Ron’s elbow made contact with his ribs.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Ron grumbled as Harry shoved him over a little to remove his bony elbow.

“When you go to a restaurant or a bar, you have to buy at least one drink per hour or else you’ll be kicked out.” Hermione explained.

“And since we don’t know how long it’ll be until they come back out-,” Harry grunted again before finally getting comfortable. “We can’t afford to be buying so much in such little time.”

Ron nodded before letting silence surround them. They watched as people passed by, none of which where who they were waiting for. They stayed there for a few hours, only making conversation long enough to keep them patient. They watched the sunset over the large buildings of Long Beach. 

Suddenly, Ron sighed loudly. “How much longer are we going to have to wait? This is ridiculous!”

Harry hissed. “Shhh! Did you forget we’re invisible to other people? Don’t you think  It’d be a little weird to hear someone screaming but see no one?”

Ron glared. “I wasn’t screaming.” he grumbled.

“Hush up you two!” Hermione hissed, “Someone's coming.”

Sure enough a group of people walk by, laughing. 

“I still don’t see why we have to do it tomorrow!” one of the men sniffed, his accent British. It’s too dark to see him clearly but his blonde hair shined bright under the faint light of the moon

“We can’t just call it off, you know how hard we’ve been working on this album. And anyway, it won’t take long. We’ve already gotten the videos out, now all we have to do is get it all recorded in the studio and then it’ll be done, we’ll be able to start selling them.” the girl replied, shaking her head. She was american.

“No we don’t, we’ve got a few other things to finish up too, remember? We’ve also got that teaser trailer for our new album.” the man sighed, a reluctant grin spreading over his face.

The girls face lit up. “Oh yes, I completely forgot about that! We’re going to be there all day though!” she whinged.

“It’s fine. We’ll be working all day- we love what we do! So we’ll be fine. We also have a surprise for you tomorrow night at the F-Note.”

The girl raised her eyebrows. “Really?” she stopped, forcing the other men to stop with her. She crossed her arms. “What on earth could it possibly be? Christmas isn’t for another month or two and I don’t know if you remember, but we don’t give gifts for Halloween or Thanksgiving.”

The pale man wrinkled his nose distastefully. “I know that. But this is just… This is just me showing you how much I appreciate you. You’re all the family I have left, if I want to spoil you, I will.”

The girl beamed up at her friend before throwing herself at him and he surprisingly didn’t stumble a bit. He simply tightened his arms around the girl and kissed her forehead. 

“You’re such a sap,” the girl giggled happily.

“Says the girl with the biggest heart I’ve ever seen,” the man rolled his eyes.

After they split apart the girl punched him in the arm. “Jerk,”

“Bitch.” the man said fondly.

Then they started walking again.

“Well, I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I’m ready to see Vee shake what her momma gave her!” the tan man exclaimed. 

“Must you be so vulgar?” the first man asked.

“Must you sound like a dick?” the tanned man shot back. The first man made an indignant noise.

“I do  _ not _ ! Why does everyone say that?” he asked as they turned the corner into the streetlight. 

Harry nearly choked. “That's them! Come on, guys!”

Ron and Hermione both scrambled up after Harry as he darted out from under the cloak and ran as swiftly and quietly after Draco Malfoy as he could.

Harry crept behind the four friends soundlessly, hoping to make as little noise as possible.

“So what's the plan now?” Ron asked.

Harry bit his lip. “We don’t want him recognizing us so we need to blend in.” he sat his pack down and searched through it before grinning. He pulled out three sweatshirts. “Here we go, I know muggles love to wear this sort of stuff all the time.”  he handed them the clothing. “Now, put them on quickly!”

With those last hissed words, Harry took off after the group of friends, leaving Hermione and Ron behind to catch up.

Harry crept quietly behind the group after he caught up to them, just as they started heading into their bar.

“Now what? If we go in, they’ll see us,” Ron said as the trio watched them sit down in a rounded booth.

“We’ll need to spread out. Put your hoods on and don’t ever take them off. We can’t let them see us.” Harry said, pulling his hood over his head.

“What’s the plan for when they leave?” Hermione asked, also pulling on her hood.

“When they leave, you two will use the cloak and I’ll use the polyjuice we brought.” Harry explained.

“Who are you going to look like?” Ron asked.

“You remember when Walters and I got into that argument about Malfoy’s case?’

“Yeah,” Ron said, snorting at the memory. “That was pretty good mate, I think you yanked out half his head.”

Harry had to agree. Jimmy Walters was a prick. Harry remembered clear as day what started the fight between the two. It was just about a year after Malfoy had gone missing and Walters had just transferred from America. He was about two or three years older than Harry and was the most homophobic, egotistical, spoiled brat he’d ever met. Walters had walked by after a meeting with Zabini and Parkinson, spouting some bullshite about ‘filthy deatheaters and how they got off too easy, escaping the kiss with no more than a slap on the wrist’. Harry about blew a fuse hearing him rant about the injustice that was the mere one year sentence of community service which was to help rebuild Hogwarts and a confiscation of a little over ¾ of what they had in their vaults to repair buildings and homes after the war. 

When Harry had tried to stay calm and rational in explaining why he thought Walters was wrong about their sentence and the ‘unfairness’ of it, Walters just started arguing and snarling about how Harry was wrong and how he liked to shove his cock up mens arses and that if he hadn’t anything smart to say, he should shove his head right where he likes to put his cock and leave the big decisions to the grown ups.

Harry had been shocked to the point of silence. It wasn’t the fact that Walters knew he was gay- everyone in Great Britain knew he was gay ever since he came out just before Malfoy's disappearance- it was simply the fact that Walters was the first person to ever talk to him like that, to ever talk to him as if he were a child in need of scolding over something he had no control over. 

Harry knew that Walters didn’t know who he was because he’d been praising Harry Potter’s name since he’d gotten there, claiming that whenever things didn’t go his way that the savior would find everything completely unsatisfactory, screaming about how ‘Harry Potter did not save us all just for everything to go back to the way things were again with everyone screwing up from left to right and not having a single clue of what to do.’ No one in the office dared say a single thing to Walters about how Harry Potter was actually working in the department with him, placing bets on when Harry would finally combust and tell the man that he was Harry Potter and that he’d greatly appreciate it when he would finally get his head out of his own arse. Walters lived in an airtight bubble which allowed him to keep away from the fact that Harry was gay and nothing at all like what he expected him to be.

Harry was more than happy to burst Walters bubble which is why when Walters had tried walking away from him, he’d called out how much he, The Boy Who Lived just enjoyed cock so much that he just might go on a binge, shagging everyone in the office until none of the men could no longer sit down, asking if that's alright with him.

No one had ever seen Walters tremble so hard with anger before and no one had ever seen Harry Potter so angry. So, taking a few feet back from the soon to be murder scene, they’d let them have at each other.

No one was more surprised than Harry when Walters said that if Harry really was The Boy Who Lived, he’d keep his cock clean and away from the filthiness of the disgusting, attention-whoring deatheater Draco Malfoy who deserved to killed in a far more vicious way than just a Dementors Kiss and how he hoped he found that merciless death wherever the hell he disappeared off to.

“I wouldn’t even find it surprising if he offed himself just for the attention.” Walters had sniffed.

It wasn’t even the insults to Harry that had made him lose control, but the simple thought of Draco Malfoy breaking down to pieces without anyone to help put him back together again, the thought of Malfoy lost somewhere out in the world and Harry not having a single clue as to what could horrible things could be being done to him with no one to help him. 

Harry had attacked with no mercy seeing only red during the first few minutes, vaguely hearing screaming and feeling people pull at him before he blacked out, the thought of Malfoy’s cries for help going unanswered as savage torture continued. 

When Harry came back he realised he had blacked out while beating the shit out of Walters. His hand was filled with Walters shoulder length blonde hair and blood covering his fists.

He had been suspended for two months after that and Walters had decided to transfer back to America after his month long recovery.

Harry snapped back to reality. Although he wasn’t proud of how he’d lost control, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pride at winning that most satisfactory fight. 

“You two are horrible, what Harry did to Walters was wrong, no matter how much he deserved it.” Hermione scolded.

Harry and Ron both shrugged and Hermione scoffed before the trio opened the doors and spread out.

Harry was immediately assaulted with the smell of fantastic food. He nearly drooled on his way to the bar, plopping himself down on one of the stools, giving him a clear view of Malfoy's table before asking politely for a water and some cheese fries. 

Harry watched the slight altercation with the waitress, shivering when the girl smiled. It was all teeth and promised trouble as she’d continued her order of sarcasm and warning. He watched the waitress flee from the table and watched the very steamy kiss between the new couple and nearly dropped his jaw to the floor when he watched Malfoy and his friend cheer for them, forcing the entire bar to cheer along. He’d never seen Malfoy look so happy and carefree. In fact, he’d never seen Malfoy without a snarl or a mean smirk upon his face. It was obvious to Harry that the Muggle World was good for him. And it was there that he decided that he’d convince Kingsley to drop this case if it was the last thing he ever did after he followed Malfoy back home. Even though he finally believed Hermione that Malfoy wasn’t up to anything, Harry didn’t think he’d be able to tear himself away from the brilliance that was Draco Malfoy’s smile. His teeth were perfectly white and straight and his eyes lit up the entire room with his happiness.

Harry had never noticed that Malfoy was attractive. He’d heard people talk about it in school but could never see past the snarky and know-it-all attitude. But seeing him so happy with his muggle friends made Harry take notice of the beautiful man just a few feet away from him. 

He was tall- though not taller than Harry anymore, thanks to his growth spurt during the blonde’s sentence- and pale. His skin looked smoother than anything he’d ever seen before and his hair looked so much better then when he used to slick it back or when it was nearly dead and lifeless with the stress of sixth year. No, his hair looked bouncy and shiny without a hint of hair product. His fringe hung down in his face, covering his right eye every once in a while before he would brush it back lightly with his hands. And his hands- what wonderful hands they were! They looked to be sculpted from marble, perfectly manicured and smooth. Long fingers made to play any instrument he put his mind too. Harry wanted nothing more than to make him suck on them before watching him open himself up on those long, glorious-.

Harry’s eyes widened at the strange thoughts in his head. He wasn’t attracted to Malfoy- he just couldn’t be! 

But then he watched as the group started singing. The girl had an amazing voice with a large vocal range. He hadn’t heard anything so good since Celestina Warbeck and even then he thought the girl easily outshone the most famous singer in the Wizarding World. He watched as she writhed on the bar during a guitar solo played by one of her friends later in the night after singing a duet with her new boyfriend, watched as she moved gracefully, seductively. She swayed her hips, moving her hands through her hair lazily. She moved as if she was the only person in the bar while sending teasing little looks throughout the entire thing. She moved as if she did it everyday, as if she were made to do it, leaving even Harry- raging homo that he is- had to keep himself from reaching out and feeling those faint abdominal muscles shift under his palm. 

When she’d left the stage, the entire room had exploded with applause. She’d truly made the entire room feel the songs, feel the emotions through her voice. Harry had stared without shame at the beautiful, multi talented singer. Of course he’d heard her from the many videos he’d watched from her and and Malfoy’s YouTube Channel but hearing it in person, hearing her change her voice to sound completely different in another song was brilliant. 

And just like his friend, Malfoy had an amazing voice too. Looking at the blonde back in school, you’d never have thought he’d be any good at singing with voice sounding so nasty and rude with the words and tone he’d liked to use back then, but now- now was a completely different story. 

Also like the girl, Malfoy also had a large vocal range. Harry remembered some of the songs he’d listened to on YouTube and he nearly couldn’t believe his ears. Malfoy was truly gifted in the musical area and nothing would ever change his mind about that. 

Suddenly Harry felt a feeling of overwhelming sadness as he watched the group have fun on stage and dancing on the bar and just singing and drinking and just having a great time with no worries. This was the first time he’d ever seen a group of friends so carefree and he just knew that he’d never see it outside of this group. Malfoy’s group had a connection, one that they’d built up in the time span of six years and it already seemed unbreakable and unattainable. That kind of connection and trust was not lost to Harry but the freedom was. And while he was happy for the blonde to have finally moved on from the crippling depression and anxiety he’d always seemed to carry in the Wizarding World, he couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

But then, watching as the group took multiple shots, Draco and the darkest of the group stopping after only four, likely enough to only give them a slight buzz, he wondered why he had to watch their fun end. As long as Malfoy never caught him, he’d be fine. He could continue to get his fill of happiness from the group of carefree musicians not even fifty feet from them. Maybe even someday he could ‘accidentally’ run into the blonde and request that they start over.

Harry was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice when they got up until Malfoy’s arse walked right by his face. Harry’s jaw dropped.

His arse, just like every other part of his body, was perfect. It was nice and bubbly and fit nice and snugly inside his trousers. It took nearly all of Harry’s self-control to not reach out and grab the blondes cheeks and bury his face between them. He wanted to feel the soft, supple flesh between his hands, wanted to feel what it would be like to have his cock inside the blonde, to watch the pale skin of his arse cheeks turn red as he slapped them, to hear the blonde cry out for more as Harry pounded the blonde into the mattress, harder and faster and-

Suddenly he’s smacked in the back of the head. He hissed, turning around to glare at the person who dared interrupt his ogling until he saw Ron and Hermione’s amused faces. Somehow without him realizing it, the two had walked over and watched him as he had stared unabashedly at the blondes perfect arse. 

“'Not in love with Draco Malfoy', my arse.” snorted Ron.

Hermione grinned at that as she grabbed Harry by his collar, dragging him up and toward the door. “Come on, lover boy, lets get this night over with.”

Harry groaned at his thoughts once more. He wasn’t in love with Malfoy, but he couldn’t deny the quickly developing crush that had begun to form from the moment he saw the blonde slytherin laugh earlier that day.

Which had very real potential in turning into love.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my glorious readers, I am back again with another chapter. Sorry that it took so long, these last two weeks were simply challenging for lack of better words. My dad was taken to the hospital last Sunday and just got back this Tuesday and is doing fantastic and I couldn't be more proud of him. He's a strong man and I couldn't be more relieved that he's okay.
> 
> I apologize in advance if my next chapter is late, I will try to get it posted on time, if not though, please bear with me. You guys are wonderful and thank you for all of your support and patience.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you again in two weeks!


	8. Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter but still interesting!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Song: Everybody Wants to Rule the World cover by Lorde.

Silence.

“So, there you have it. We used to be strippers. What do you think of that?” Vee asked, crossing her arms over her chest, eyebrows arched as if daring them to say something.

Potter cleared his throat and Weasley refused to look up at anyone, instead practicing immense focus on his hands, fingers drumming nervously up on the table.

“We already knew you were- uh-,” Potter cleared his throat again, obviously uncomfortable. “Yeah, we already knew about that. That doesn’t explain why Hannah or Luna didn’t say anything though.” 

Granger sighed. “I made them swear not to say a word about seeing Malfoy at the club. And since it wasn’t their secret to tell, they had no problem burying it in the back of their minds.”

Potter nodded his head. “Okay. Okay.”

Draco raised one of his eyebrows in surprise. He found it hard to believe that the man who had stalked him for over half of their 6th year had nothing to say about. “Okay? That's all you have to say about it?  _ Okay _ ?”

Potter shrugged. “What do you want me to say?”

Draco clenched his jaw, trying to figure out what Potter was playing at. Draco didn’t believe for one second that Potter had no questions and was willing to let this all go without saying a thing. Draco knew he must be waiting for a negotiating point in the conversation so he can ask something horrible of Draco and Vee must have guessed his thoughts because she turned and glared at Potter and opened her mouth, eyes flaring-.

“Hey you guys! You ready to go?” called a loud, beaming voice from the living room. A flash of panic ran through his mind and his body jerked towards the door. Vee looked up with wide eyes before swearing. 

“Shit,” she hissed. “ _ Shit _ , what do we do?”

Draco floundered for a minute, panic clouding his mind. “Fuck!”

“Can they do the teleporting thingy? Vee asked.

Draco shook his head violently, distractedly correcting her. “Dissaperition. And no, they can’t, the wards I put up won’t allow that and even if they did, Leo and Colin would hear it.” He stood up from his chair. “We’ll be out in a second! Go into the music room and grab my camera?” he called out, voice surprisingly steady for someone who’s life is about to explode.

He breathed in deeply before turning to Vee. “Go distract those two, I’ll deal with them.” he nodded towards the three confused people at the table. 

Vee nodded, patting Draco on the back as a sign of support before running out of the room.

“What the hell, girl, you’re not even dressed yet!” Leo exclaimed.

Draco turned towards the Golden Trio. “Okay, there obviously isn’t enough time to hide you so you are going to pretend to be old friends from school just dropping by for a quick hello and then I’ll offer to walk you guys to your hotel right after you Vow to keep our secret, deal?”

Weasley and Potter both looked ready to object but Draco glared at them, a flash of anger flaring deep down inside from a place long forgotten. “No, do not argue with me. You came in here and decided to fuck up a life that took so long to build, a life that I’m actually proud to be living. You have no right to deny me this, do you understand?”

Granger nodded. “We understand, Malfoy. We’re sorry we’ve intruded. It won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right, it wont.” Draco said quietly, looking all three of them in the eyes before turning on his heel and walking into the living room, plastering on a bright smile.

Leo looked over at Draco before grinning. “You dick! You’re not ready either!”

Draco snorted. “Of course I am. This is what I’m wearing over there. I enjoy having extra clothes to change back into afterwards, you know.”

“You mean you don’t enjoy wearing black leather pants out in this hot-as-hell California sun? Whatever could you mean?” Leo faked an indignant gasp. Draco smirked. 

“Where’s Vee run off too?” he asked. 

Leo rolled his eyes. “She asked Colin to help her with her dress. They could be in there for a while.”

Draco’s laugh didn’t come out as forced as he thought it would, considering the circumstances. “Then it’s a good thing we got up early. We’ve already eaten.” 

“Of course you have. Any leftovers? I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving,” Draco rolled his eyes playfully before walking into the kitchen, Leo following closely behind. He could feel the three at the table watching him so he turned and faked a smile at them. To say they looked utterly bewildered would be an understatement. Draco would have laughed if the entire situation wasn’t threatening his sanity.

“And who are these never-before-seen people?” Leo exclaimed, causing the Trio to jump.

After smiling at them, Draco ignored the three as he rummaged through the fridge, grabbing a plate of pancakes. “They are my old friends from my boarding school in England,” he lied smoothly, “They were visiting and decided to hit me up.” he cringed at the new saying, still not used to saying it, before handing the plate over to Leo.

Leo greeted them all, introducing himself, barely waiting for the Golden Trio to introduce themselves quietly before he gladly dug in with his hands, eyes rolling into the back of his head as he moaned. “God, these are so good. Nothing like Vee’s, but you’re getting there.”

Draco raised an eyebrow as he leaned against the counter top, crossing her arms. “How are they any different? I used her recipe. There's nothing different about them!”

Leo tsked around his mouthful. “She just puts so much love in her food. You on the other hand-,”

Draco rolled his eyes. “So my cooking lacks ‘love’? What does that even mean?”

Before Leo can answer, Vee walks in, followed closely by a very relaxed Colin.

“Yes. I just have so much love to spare I put it in my cooking, you on the other hand-” Draco interrupted her with a snarl lacking heat, unable to be offended when she had such a bright smile on her face. She’s changed into a deep maroon sundress with off-the-shoulder elbow length sleeves and strap-on black heels. Her hair's been styled into loose curls that fell around her face beautifully.

“You have men in your house.” Colin stated blankly, staring at Weasley and Potter.

Vee smiled up at her boyfriend. “Of course I do, I’m glad we’ve got that covered.”

Colin glowered at her, obviously assuming the men were her guests. She made no move to correct him. 

“You also have a female. I’m confused.” Colin said, penetrative gaze flipped back onto the other three.

Draco rolled his eyes just as Leo decided to take pity on his friend. 

“They stopped by to say hi to Drake. They’re from England too. Apparently they’re ‘old friends’.” he grinned around a mouthful of pancake. 

Colin blinked down at Draco. “You said you didn’t have any friends from England.”

Draco silently cursed Colin in his head and smiled tightly. “We had a bit of a falling out,-”  _ if an entire childhood of hatred and scheming could be called that. _ “-and they decided to drop by and apologize.”

“What was the fight about?” Leo asked before shoving another mouthful of pancake into his mouth.

Draco fought not to let his eyebrow twitch and kept on his smiling mask. “We don’t need to get into it again. The point is that everything has been resolved and that they need to leave soon. They’ll miss their flight if they don’t, so you three can head down to the studio and I will meet you there after I walk with them, for old times sake. Come along,” Draco then gestured them to follow as he made his way into the living room.

The three were soon intercepted by Colin and Leo. “Wait, wait, wait, you guys just met back up again after- what? At least 5 years? Tell you what, you can spend the week with us and we’ll buy you guys new passports.” Leo smiled happily, clearly enjoying what he thought was a good and noble think. 

Draco had never wanted to use a Bat Bogey hex more in his life.

Sensing his inner turmoil, Granger stepped up to talk, her voice dripping with rationality and professionalism.  “That is not necessary, but thank you for the offer. We really must be getting back, we-”

“We insist.” Colin said blankly.

Both Granger and Draco were ready to set Leo and Colin straight and even Vee was starting to look stiff-necked, but before anyone could say anything, Potter spoke up, voice cheery, emerald green eyes bright. “That's nice of you, mate! We’d love to spend more time with our buddy  _ Drake _ ! 

Draco swore his heart stopped. Vee choked.

After she stopped coughing and Draco felt his heart start back up again, they both started talking at the same time.

“That’s really-!” Draco started.

“But you can’t-!” Vee protested.

“Okay, one at a time you two,” Leo grinned. 

“They can’t stay here.” Vee insisted, eyes steely.

“Why not?” Leo tilted his head to the side.

Ve clenched her jaw before opening her mouth but Weasley beat her to the punch.

“No it’s fine… We can stay… for a week?” he said uneasily, eyeing Potter wearily with clenched fists.

Vee looked murderous. Draco didn’t know what to do.

“Well then, now that everything's worked out , we can hit the road. We’re already twenty five minutes late.” Leo exclaimed.

“Joe is gonna kill us.” Collin said.

Vee swore before punching Draco in the chest. He swore at her. “What, bitch?”

“Grab your shit and lets go, dickwad.” she said before grabbing a plastic bag and filling it with bread. Draco scowled at her back but grabbed his bag anway.

“Remember we’ve got dance class after we’re done at the studio!” she called.

“I know, woman!” Draco yelled back before throwing in a pair of baggy sweats and a muscle-T. 

After that he walked back out into the living room to see Vee giggling while Colin had his face in her neck. Draco decided not to think on what he was doing and turned back to his old classmates.

“We have to go to work. We can meet up later if you’d prefer?” he said, refusing to let any venom slip out into his voice, no matter how much it killed him to act civil.

“What are you talking about? They can come on in and watch!” Leo said, eyes bright.

Draco had never hated his friend so much in his life. “They’ll only be in the way.”

“No, we should meet up later. Drake is right, we’ll only get in your way. We’ll meet up wherever you’d like.” Granger said. Even she looked uncertain.

“Yeah, we can meet up at the F-Note tonight at around 11. We don’t really know how long we’ll be at the studio. Then we’ve got a few more errands to run. We’ll see you guys tonight.” Draco said, smile slightly strained.

“Of course. See you guys then.” Granger said professionally before walking stiffly to the door, Weasley following closely and Draco’s friends weren't far behind. Potter stayed back with Draco. 

The elevator ride down was crowded and silent and awkward. Draco was happy to be out and into the fresh air. When Vee called for an Uber, Granger decided it we time to split ways. Draco hoped she would talk some sense into her idiotic Golden Boys head. 

When they started to walk away, Draco grabbed Potters wrist tightly. Potter watched him wearily. 

Draco leaned in so his friends couldn’t hear and smiled brightly to keep them all from suspecting any ill will. 

“I don’t know what you’re planning, Potter but if you try anything to hurt the life I’ve made for myself, you will regret it. I swear that on my own life.” he said, voice soft but threatening nonetheless. 

Potters eyes flashed but Draco couldn’t tell with what. Potter grinned. “Don’t worry, Malfoy. I wouldn’t dream of it.”  

Draco’s eyes narrowed in suspicion but before he could say anything, their Uber pulled up. He glared at Potter. “I mean it.” then he let go and hopped into the car. 

* * *

 

“Okay, is she blindfolded?” Leo asked. 

“I don’t see why she has to be blindfolded if she already knows where we are and nothing has changed scenery wise.” Collin said emotionlessly.

Leo scowled. “It's for effect!”

Draco shook his head and laughed. “Yes, she’s blindfolded. Now, you two bring her in while I set the video up on the TVs.”

“Where do you want us to sit her?” Leo asked.

“The first chair in front of the stage. It should project onto the wall, right in front of her.”

Leo laughed brightly. “She’s going to be so happy when she sees this!”

Draco beamed and even Collin cracked a small grin.

“Okay, now go and get her!” Draco urged. Leo grinned as he ran out the door of the F-Note to do just that.

Then Draco wrinkled his nose. “Wait, who was out there with her?”

“Shelly.” Collin said simply. Draco nodded, taking the simple answer before shouting to everyone in the bar. “Are you all ready?”

The bar erupts in cheering and Draco moves to jump onto the stage but Collin grabs his wrist. “Wait. Where are your British friends?” 

Draco struggled to keep from rolling his eyes. He’d nearly forgotten about them. “They’re just running a bit late is all. They’ll be here, don’t worry.”

Collin nodded, letting Draco go. Draco jumped onto the stage and climbed the ladder to the projector, turning it on and then climbing back down quickly and folding the ladder up before jumping off stage and shoving it into the back of the bar.

It's time.

* * *

Harry walked into the F-Note just in time to see the lights cut out as a large, dark picture form on the wall on the stage. Everyone in the bar was quiet, watching either a TV screen- which also had the picture on- or watching the wall on the stage. Harry searched the dark room before finding Malfoy and his friends, guiding Vee into a chair right in front of the stage. Harry gestured for Ron and Hermione to follow him. They waited until they got Vee seated before finding their own seats when it became apparent that Malfoy couldn’t talk right now. 

Malfoy stood up on stage, eyes bright and happy and  _ beautiful _ before he started talking.

“Hello everyone, this is something we all know Vee has been waiting a long time for and I couldn’t be happier showing it to you all. The only thing better than seeing you guys watch this is watching Vee realise all of her hard work finally paid off.” 

The bar erupted in cheering and Malfoy nodded to Leo and Collin. Collin gently removes a blindfold from Vee’s eyes. Harry couldn’t see her face but by the amused smiles on her friends faces, he knew she must be scowling with confusion.

“Vee, we love you, and we hope you enjoy how everything turned out.” Malfoy announced before jumping off the stage, clicking a button on his phone, and sitting down beside his friends.   
  


The music starts out a little dark and haunting as the scene fades into a pair of maroon red lips attached to light brown skin that seemed to be shining gold.

 

_ “Welcome to your life.” _

 

The scene cuts to a girl in ratty, dark skinny jeans and a black crop top. She’s curled up on a cot in what looks to be a dungeon. Her breath comes out cold as she breathes before the beat hits again and it cuts back to the Maroon lipped woman as she sings.

 

_ “There's no turning back.” _

 

Now it cuts to a group of people no older than 20 as they’re huddled close together to keep from the same cold the other girl was just in, in a room exactly like the one she was also in then the scene changes back to the Maroon woman when the beat hits once more.

 

_ “Even while we sleep… ” _

 

This time it cuts to a man with white hair and pale skin shackled to the wall of a similar dungeon room. His head is bowed as he he hangs from the wall, his knees barely making contact with the floor that's seems to be covered in his own blood. His back is bare and covered in thin slashed all up and down his back. The only think covering his is a pair of black trousers. He doesn’t move and the only think indicating that he’s alive is his cold breath as it phogs the air around him. Then the beat hits again and the Maroon woman sings, her lip curled up in disgust.

 

_ “We will find you,” _

 

It cuts to two men in silver armour dragging the white haired man through a large, dark, stone hallway. Beat hits; Scene cuts to the same group forcing the group of people forward. They’re all dirty and they look frightened.

 

_ “Acting on your best behavior,” _

 

Beat hits; Scene cuts to two more soldiers dragging Vee by her arms. Her face is dirty and riddled with a few cuts; one going straight through her left eyebrow, one across her left cheek just under a dark purple bruise, A cut on her bottom, swollen lip and a large splotch of blood right on her temple where the soldiers had hit her. She writhes in defiance before one of them hit her in the head with the but of their swords and she stops struggling, anger flashing across her face even as her eyes fill with tears of pain. 

 

_ “Turn your back on Mother Nature,” _

 

The beat hits and the scene changes back to the Maroon woman as she sings, her face calm and smoothed out once more.

 

_ “Everybody wants to rule the world.” _

 

The scene changed to a dark sky and bright green-grey fields of grass surrounding a prison like castle, looking as haunting and deadly as possible.

 

_ “It's my own desire.” _

 

The soldiers shove the the group of people into a large, grand room covered in shadows and deep reds. A figure sits on a thrown just ahead of the group. It stares at them coldly.

 

_ “It's my own remorse.” _

 

The beat hits; The boy is thrown into the throne room, barely being caught by one of the men in the group. The white haired boy stirs shakily.

 

_ “Help me to decide.” _

 

The beat hits; Vee is thrown into the throne room and she stumbles into the boy. She turns around and the boy lifts his head to reveal Malfoy, eyes tired and hurt but bright nonetheless with defiance. A large cut goes from just above his right eye all the way down to just under his high cheekbone. Vee’s eyes fill with tears.

 

_ “Help me make the most of freedom.” _

 

The two embrace each other, relief spilling out of them. The group of people watch the throne wearily.

 

_ “And of pleasure,” _

 

Malfoy narrows his eyes when their embrace ends, just as the soldiers surround them, shields up and swords drawn. They close in on the group and Malfoy’s lip curls as he raises a hand, bright with a light shimmering blue mass of sparks.

 

_ “Nothing ever lasts forever!” _

 

Vee grins darkly, putting on a determined mask, eyes bright, steely- rebellious- as she brings up her own hand, a ball of flame dancing just centimeters from her skin. They both turn around, facing the soldiers, aiming, then firing.

 

_ “Everybody wants to rule the world.” _

 

Beat hits; The music turns heavy and dark and suspenseful as it zeros in on the group of people running in the dark field of green-grey, but this time it’s raining and the clouds are drawn in tight as it pours. The earth explodes in a small space close to the group, caused by a giant stone that had been hurled at them. The Vee stumbled and a boy with dark hair grabs her, keeping her up and running.

 

_ “There's a room where the light won't find you,” _

 

Beat hits; It shows the group plus Vee and Malfoy surrounded by a campfire in the dark of the woods at night, all holding stick, small portions of meat skewered onto some of their sticks as they either stare into the fire hauntingly or at Malfoy and Vee as they stare each other down, both thin lipped with eyes bright with anger.

 

_ “Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down!” _

 

Malfoy stares up at a man deeply tanned with black, unruly hair with a look of anger, disgust and hurt mixed up all in one. Malfoy’s face is clean, cut scabbed over but the other mans face is dirty with a bruise along his strong jawline, on his right cheekbone, and surrounding his bright green left eye. He wears a soldiers armour. He’s thin lipped with frustration and anger. He grabs Malfoy by the head and yanks him up as he crushes their lips together.

 

_ “When they do, I'll be right behind you!” _

 

Beat hits; Scene changes to see Vee throwing a goblet made of gold and silver at a stone wall, thick red liquid pooling at her feet as she throws her head back and sobs, big fat tears trailing down her cheeks before she opens her mouth, teeth bared in a yell of rage.

 

_ “So glad we've almost made it!” _

 

Beat hits; Scene cuts to a slow, sensual picture of Vee naked, riding a man in a giant bed filled with beautifully woven blankets the color of cobalt in a room filled with a bright, warm yellow light making her look as if she were made of gold. Her head is thrown back and her eyes closed in ecstasy as he wraps his strong dark arms around her body and burrows his face in her neck, covering her bare chest. She runs her hands through his hair slowly as he thrusts upwards.

 

_ “So sad we had to fade it!” _

 

Beat hits; Scene changes to a picture of Vee and Malfoy holding hands in front of each other with tears streaming down their faces. They bow their heads together until their foreheads meet. They close their eyes in pain.

 

_ “Everybody wants to rule the world!” _

 

Beat hits; Scene back to them running in the green-grey field as another canon shoots off, shaking the entire screen and vibrating the entire room. More people in the group stumble but they keep their footing, eyes filled with determination.

 

_ “Everybody wants to rule the world!” _

 

Beat hits; Vee is screaming, desperation etched into every part of her face as she urges Malfoy to-,

**_‘Fight it!’_ ** Her lips read. Malfoy is bent over, curling in on himself as he covers himself with his arms, head gripped in his pale hands. His face is contorted in what could only be explained as mass agonony. His mouth opens just as his eyes do, wide and bright with fear and pain as he screams, bright blue ice shuddering from his body in an explosion of an ice avalanche. Vee moves to cover herself in a giant X formation- Harry’d only ever seen Wonder Woman do it and make it look completely badass until now- arms covered in bright blue flame.

  
  


_ “Everybody wants to rule-!” _

 

Beat hits; The scene cuts to the girl with the maroon lips but this time her whole face can be seen. It’s Vee. She looks perfect except for the empty right eye socket, covered in blood and even showing a little bone and left over tissue with drips of ice. Her one eye narrows as her head tilts up, a haunting look, the shadows around her close in on her, covering the multiple, corpse like hands that slowly make their way around her body, clawing, digging, drawing blood around her neck as she sings the last two words just as Malfoy appears over her shoulder, face cold and devoid of emotion, eyes hard as ice, hair fringed except for a single part that hung in his face. Then the screen finally fades into black, only her lips appearing again. 

_ “The world.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my loyal readers! 
> 
> So... these last few weeks have been crazy to put it simply. My dad got back from the hospital finally and is doing fantastic and I couldn't be prouder. 
> 
> This story is coming along very slowly in my head though due to the total chaos in my life right now. I apologize for any mistakes I made, I was in a rush to get to bed, school tomorrow and all. 
> 
> Don't worry, I'm not offering my story up for adoption but I feel with all the homework I've been getting, I might have to cut down posting to once a month? Please don't kill me but until the work cuts down it is a possibility. So if I'm ever a day late posting, just know that that's what I've decided to do. 
> 
> But that will only be a last resort. If I can't squeeze any ideas out of my head in time to post it at the two week mark then that is what will happen. But it wont be permanent, hopefully. 
> 
> Any way, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I will (hopefully!) see you guys in two weeks!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my fellow Drarry Shippers. I just wanted to say that this is my first Drarry Book and I apologize if its not what you were expecting. There will not be any smut in this book unless someone contacts me and offers to collaborate with me on it. 
> 
> I will be posting once every two weeks. Sorry, I'm a slow poster and I've got loads to do. 
> 
> If you enjoy this story, thank you. If you didn't, stop reading it.
> 
> Disclaimer: None of the characters in Harry Potter belong to me. They all belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling, one of the Queens of the Book world.


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